Trust In Me
by ShortStop2016
Summary: Anju has been best friends with Izuna since they were babies – Madara less so. Finally getting into the battlefield as a fighter, Anju proves herself a worthy Uchiha and a worthy opponent. But as she sees a side of Madara no one ever sees, she finds herself stuck in a game of tug of war with the two brothers, and she is the rope.
1. Chapter 1: Peace and Quiet

_Present - 3 years later_

Peace and quiet. Now that was something hard to come by, even in the Uchiha Clan. Not as large as other clans, but by far one of the strongest. Even so, that did not mean things were always peaceful within its clan, and it wasn't even the least bit quiet. No one could really escape from their duties, unless you were Izuna.

The young man had decided it acceptable to skip out on a morning meeting, one that had to do with resources and allies. Had he not been so ruffled by his father and brother's constant inquiries about marriage, he would have attended. Instead, he found it necessary to have someone… fill in for him to say, so he could finally have the long sought after peace and quiet he deserved. No bickering, no inquires, no being told what to do – just peace and quiet on a spring sunrise.

There would be consequences upon his return, being the leader's son and all, but they would be worth the clear mind he had. He was in debt to his accomplice yet again. This was the… oh how many times had he asked for her assistance in achieving peace and quiet? He'd lost count. Of course, he always found some way to repair her, whether it be the same thing in return or merely letting her smack him for almost getting caught. He preferred another way over that woman's hand. She hit quite hard, though he knew she always held back.

A light wind rattled the new leaves on the trees, but Izuna caught a different sound in them. Footsteps. He recognized these ones though, and they were not an enemy, at least not yet. Light, steady, and precise, and almost undetectable had it not been for his keen hearing. Those footsteps meant the meeting was over and his peace would soon be extinguished. How Madara escaped such inquires and interrogations was easily seen with his temper, but Izuna, he was much more mellow, unless provoked.

Suddenly, he bumped into something, and that something fell to the ground with an 'umphf.' He looked down to see a young woman with long, pointed raven hair as wild as the wilderness around them. A light skinned hand rubbed her head, obviously annoyed, "You were really thinking, weren't you?"

With a chuckle, he pulled her up in one move, and kept his arm around her in a possessive show of affection, even though no one was around. "Within the clan walls, being able to comprehend and listen to one's own thoughts is feat only achievable by few," he pulled his hood up over his head, a light drizzle starting, while she pulled that wild mane of hers in a ponytail, bringing its ends to just above her butt. "How was the meeting?"

She sighed, making herself comfortable under his arm. He was warm and it was rather cold outside – cold enough to where they could see their own exhaling breaths. "Uneventful as usual. Nothing more than assigning patrols, going over Senju locations and their allies as well as ours, and assigning missions. Very, very boring. Although," Izuna raised an eyebrow. So something interesting had happened? "The Yoshida are now five days late on a shipment of resources in return for their continued protection. Madara-sama believes they may be leaning towards Senju protection, but they have been granted four more days."

Izuna eyes narrowed. Such a thing was very generous, and he had to wonder if maybe Madara had skipped out on the meeting as well, and a duplicate had taken his place. His influence over the clan was quite something, and his word was highly looked to by their father, but that? "Madara must be sick."

"No, just you," she chuckled at his expression, "you are the more generous one, Izuna."

"Ah, so I am the one granting such a thing. I can see why you chose to do so. They are a main source of supplies, but still – four days? We'll see how events turn." He pulled her hood up for her, not wanting her to be sick. A young kunoichi in her position could not afford to become ill and out of combat. Too much of her influence was at stake. "And your disguise? Does Madara or my father still not suspect anything?"

"Unfortunately," Izuna frowned. That's not what he wanted to hear. "Your father failed to attend yet another meeting, so this was once again led by Madara-sama. I believe he realized it was me and not you. I'm sorry, Izuna. I let my chakra flicker just the slightest and he knew."

A sigh escaped Izuna's lips. He expected nothing more from his brother, though he was surprised they had made it this far without being discovered of their deceit. "Well, our next encounter should be interesting then. It was nice having you buy me alone time. I'm sure my brother wishes he had someone willing to the same for him."

"Well," Anju shifted uncomfortably, "I bet he does."

Izuna regretted bringing up his brother the moment his name left his lips. He knew how she felt about Madara, how much she hated him. And he didn't blame her. The things he had done and said to her… they were quite harsh. Izuna knew Madara had this grudge against her, but he thought they had gotten passed physical contact. He was wrong. The bruises of her last encounter with the said man still rested on her neck and cheek. He had done all he could to prevent it from happening, but nothing could stop Madara once he had his mind set on something.

Absentmindedly, he reached a hand out and gently stroked the swollen and bruised skin on her left cheek with his fingertips. This form on contact was nothing new to the two, and it was often practiced whether it was in public or in private. To an observing eye, it would be assumed the two were in a serious courtship, and quite possibly lovers. But, to the two themselves – or to someone who knew them well – it was only act of friendly affection.

Friends since newborns, it wasn't hard for a passerby to mistake such intimacy for something much more than friendship. In the Uchiha Clan, a man and woman never touched like they did unless they were courting or married, or, on a much lower standard, a whore. Had it not been for Anju's high status in the council and her lifelong friendship with Izuna, she would be mistaken as such.

"He hits hard," Anju pulled her head away slightly, indicating even such a soft touch hurt the injured skin, "I'll give him that much."

A small, unseen smile crossed Izuna's boyish features, "If I recall correctly, you told him he hit like a mosquito – weak and slow."

The barrier that had been up around Anju since the meeting faltered and fell to the ground as she laughed. It was true – she had said such a thing to Uchiha Madara after he hit her for a snide comment. What was the comment exactly?

"You should cut your hair, woman. If it stays as long as it is, a ninja can easily grab it and prevent you from escaping."

Anju gave him her little smirk and replied, "Why, Madara-sama, why would I cut my hair for such a reason? If that is your only reason, then, shouldn't you cut yours as well? Or, maybe you like it that long – it really brings out your feminine looks."

Saying such a thing to the leader's son and the most powerful member of the Uchiha Clan – although Anju hated to admit it, it was the truth and she was no liar – especially in front of a crowd of people, sealed her fate. Of course, she put up a fight, but Madara had landed quite the blow to her cheek, and she was surprised her jaw didn't break or fracture. It looked nastier, but that had been two days ago. Thank god for her bodies fast healing.

"It really brings out his feminine looks? I don't think I've seen him that pissed off!" They both laughed, as Madara's temper quite amused them both. The man couldn't take a joke, and Anju knew that, which was why she had said it in the first place. However, she didn't think he would hit her like that in the public. There was a dent in the ground where he had done so, and, she had to admit, a little bit of her dignity still rested there.

Wrapping an arm around Izuna's waist, her personality came clean in front of him. During meetings, and any other time she was around Madara, she kept up a cold and hard façade, for it seemed any time she was enjoying herself, Madara always used harsh words and actions to make it go away. Izuna believed she was giving into him that way, but he wasn't sure what made his brother angrier – when she was happy or when she was cold.

He glanced down at her, almost having to incline his head down to look at her. She only came up to his chest after all. So small, yet so full of power. If only his brother would get over his sexist views of women, especially Anju, and except her for the kunoichi she has become. Unfortunately, Madara was not that simple, and he was very tenacious in swaying his views, whether they were right or wrong.

"Now that I've got you out of your fortress," Izuna referred to the wall she put up around herself to fend off Madara with a smile, one she returned, "how was your date?"

Anju crinkled her nose, as if disgusted. "Like all the others. Only wants for the looks and my position on the council. Good looking, but not so much so on the inside."

At her words, Izuna inwardly sighed, relieved. He still had time then. "Who does that leave now? You butchered Takata, Okabe, Hino, and Nakai, had me take care of the stalker Sakai, and you've turned down Tashiro, Seo, and Amari. Anymore you're going to turn into fodder for the pigs?" Though his words were merely a tease at her picky nature, Anju turned her nose up in response, as if offended. "Well, when you put it that way, you make it sound like I killed them."

Izuna laughed wholeheartedly. "You might as well have! You destroyed their reputations within the clan by revealing what pigs they are, not that I'm complaining. It was quite amusing to watch."

"Watch it," a glint in her eyes excited Izuna, "I might ruin your reputation next."

"Bring it on, honey."

A well-trimmed eyebrow arched in amusement at the challenge. "Well, let's review the women you've gone on dates with, on accord of your father and brother," a glare met her gaze as she held up each finger with a critical face, "Arima. You took her on a date, slept with her, and left her. Ikeda. You took her on a date, slept with her, and left her. Then there was-"

"Do you enjoy spying on me during my dates? Or are you just making assumptions?" Izuna caught her, but she merely laughed it off and smiled. "Oh, don't act like you don't do the same for me. I catch you watching me on my dates. So don't act all innocent when you are not."

He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head away, going silent. That was all she needed to know she was right. "Are you going to pout like a child now? Is Izzy upset?" She giggled as his face heated up with her little pet name for him. He was just so fun and easy to tease, even if the tease were the truth. "Oh come on Izuna! Lighten up! How about you let down your fortress, baka?"

In a turn of events, Izuna spun around with his sword drawn faster than the mere human eye could see. His sharingan spun as his sword came down over Anju, who blocked with her right forearm, which was protected by armor plating to support the injured bone beneath. Ten years and it still bothered her just as much as the day she received it.

"You were saying, Anju?" Izuna cocked his head to the side, his hood falling back to reveal his ebony hair tied in a low ponytail, with his bangs parted in the middle of his face, framing what Anju called a baby face. Soft features that resembled that of his mother with a sharp chin and nose of his father. He was quite the catch.

So, this was the kind of game he wanted to play? Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she pushed back at him, holding her face incredibly close to his and dropping her hood as well. Side-swept bangs hung just above her right eye and got longer from there, framing her kind face and features. She looked she would belong to the medics or be a weak housewife, but she was a kunoichi, and a beautiful one at that.

"Bring it on, honey." Izuna's nose touched hers, his eyes narrowing into slits with his Mangekyou only slightly visible underneath. This was how he woke up every morning – meeting, meet with Anju, and fight Anju. If there was no meeting, he found some rude way to wake her up if she were not up before him.

Anju moved first, stepping back and spinning around with her sword drawn just in time to meet his. They moved fluently together. Their foot work was smooth, light, and quick, and neither missed a beat, whether it was blocking a blow or dodging a blow. They moved faster than a regular eye could see, their sharingans keeping them on their feet. Neither wanted to lose to the other, knowing they would be facing at least a week of teasing on the matter.

Finally, Anju's sword was flung into another tree, but instead of pausing, she crouched, just barely missing Izuna's blade, and when she came back up, she blocked the sword with her arm. She knew the armor on her forearms could only take so much, and that if Izuna pushed much harder, it would break. It had not yet been mended from their last battle.

He had to push her. He always pushed her during these spars of theirs, and she did the same to him. It made each fight harder. "Come on Anju! You're not going to beat Madara's ass fighting like this."

The mention of his brother boiled the blood in her veins. Finally, Izuna would have his challenge. Her moves became faster and more precise, as well as more powerful. Her eyes glowed with fury, but he was only getting started. "Remember Anju – he thinks you are beneath him. Prove him wrong!"

Izuna felt rather than saw her hand collide with his face, sending him back a couple feet, but he recovered quickly, dodging and roundhouse kicking her side. She hunched over, and as Izuna went to finish the job, she burst into flames and he met her just in time to block her hand. "Come on Anju! Let your anger go!"

That was, after all, what this was about. Fights like these were about letting lose all that pent up anger and frustration of the past two days, which surprisingly enough was that equal to the anger of losing a battle. To say things were stressful being a shinobi in the Uchiha Clan was an understatement. It was even more so if one was close to Uchiha Madara.

Every successful punch and kick and every successfully blocked hit released the anger from their bodies and made them reasonable and calm once again. They fought with such ferocity that one would have thought them from different clans, had it not been for the matching symbols on their backs. They spared no expense in going against each other, and an hour passed before they stopped to pant, tired from the consistency of the fight. But every passing second they stood to mellow out, was another second the other could exploit the others weakness.

That was exactly what Izuna did. The resting Izuna burst in a fury of flames, making Anju once again alert to her friend's movements. He could be anywhere. Izuna was excellent at hiding himself, and combined with his exemplary use of the sharingan and kenjutsu. He could strike at any moment.

Though no storm was present, the dark clouds gave away all she needed, and although they were less the exceptional conditions, Anju raised her palm towards the sky and with her other hand she folded all but her index and middle fingers into her palm, creating a seal. In seconds, blue and purple light flashed down and surrounded her in a barrier of impenetrable energy. The sound it made could be heard for miles around as it incinerated the ground it touched.

"Come on you coward! Afraid of a little lightning?" A dark smirk formed on her pink lips as she taunted the young male, knowing very well he was watching and waiting to perform a jutsu of his own. She didn't have to wait long.

The sound a cracking whip sounded as Izuna's Amaterasu sword came into contact with the energy. She jumped back, the lightning shooting back up into the sky as she did so. There was one thing she was known for in the Uchiha Clan – her proficiency in lightning nature. _No one_ could match her in it. Though she was still learning, during a storm or before it, lightning came to her like a dog to its master, obeying her every command.

The light drizzle returned, and with it Anju held out her hand. In it, a bolt of lightning formed and acted as her weapon as she clashed with Izuna and his weapons made of black flame. Amaterasu was, by far, the strongest nature she had seen, and called it _blaze_. Her lightning could stand against it, but only for a time. Then, when they collided once again, Izuna pulled a dirty trick. He aimed his elbow down over right forearm, injured in battle years ago and never fully healed, and hit it with all the force he could muster.

Stunned, Anju stumbled back, earning her a punch to the face and sending her into a tree. She held her arm close to her abdomen, cringing at the burning, aching pain the radiated throughout her injured arm. Her glare held on Izuna, the cheat. He played dirty whenever he could, and he cheated. Well, if that was how he wanted to play it…

They reengaged, with Anju throwing her bolts towards him, but Izuna was quick to dodge each one. He could feel her running out of steam, and now was his chance to make the final strike, but he hesitated for a moment. He felt another presence on the field.

The third presence watched from a tree branch, intrigued by the battle being waged. His red eyes followed the movements of each side, trying to predict who may win and how long it would take. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as he soon came to find that both were evenly matched. They wouldn't be if Izuna would use the full power of his sharingan, but he did not.

For now, he would watch the little show. In the twenty-one years since their birth, Uchiha Madara had never watched the pair spar, not once. He was impressed, but the thoughts and words stayed in his head. They moved so fluently together, like partners in a dance. Quick, light, and precise foot movements, combined with quick, precise, and powerful blows and jutsu's. Now he could see why they performed so well on the battlefield together – they moved as one.

The show did not last much longer, and it was by a little miscalculation that Madara could not believe was made. For sure he thought Anju or Izuna would have seen it, but either they did and ignored it, or neither saw what was happening.

It was slow motion for Madara, watching with his sharingan. Anju spun around to pull her sword from a tree, and in those seconds, Izuna's clone that came for her dispersed and the real Izuna blew out an enormous fireball. With no time to react, Anju was about to become a roast.

The look of horror on her face as she realized the mistake haunted him. Without much thought, he jumped into action while he made the observation, knowing Anju would not make it out in time without some serious injury. He scooped the unsuspecting woman up in his arms, barely making it out of the blaze without being touched by flame. It had scorched parts of his clothing and ends of his hair, and the same had gone for Anju, though not as serious as he.

Crouching on the branch, he calmed, though the smell of burnt flesh and hair stung at his nose. But, nothing serious had been inflicted, though it would have been had he not acted or waited a moment longer. He looked down at the young woman, who stared up at him with stunned eyes. "Are you alright?" The shock that registered on Anju was like any other.

Never in her time on this earth had Uchiha Madara asked her if she was alright, let alone saving her from serious injury. All she could really do was stare up at the stone face of her savior. She was stuck between thanking him, smacking him, or doing both, but her mind was still comprehending how stupid of a mistake she had just made and that Uchiha Madara had saved her life.

Madara's eyes narrowed as she ignored him, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time. "I will not ask you again – are you alright?"

Shaking, whether from shock, adrenaline, or both, she nodded. "Hai. I think I'm fine…" She was pushed further into the realm of shock as the tall man sat her down on the branch of the tree and ran his hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and to her hands. They grabbed her right arm with utmost gentleness that was applicable to only medics and women, not the great Uchiha Madara.

The man's eyes narrowed further at the damaged and swollen skin as he removed the armor surrounding it. Izuna really had used some dirty tricks to try and win this battle, and he was not surprised. He was a cheater. "You need to go to the infirmary. Izuna has put your arm out of use for a couple days, and you are no use to me or the clan in this pathetic state. You should have paid more attention to your enemy, you stupid wench."

Madara's words sparked a dying flame within her heart, and she stood abruptly, pushing him away and snatching her arm back from his grasp, cringing as he dug his fingers into the wound, causing her further pain. "I did not ask for your assistance nor did I need it! I would rather have burned than be saved and have it held against me!"

At that moment, Izuna appeared on a neighboring branch, finally realizing Anju was up in the trees and not burnt to a crisp. What a relief that was. He wanted to hug her tight and make sure she was alright, but as his eyes lay upon his brother, he knew that would not be happening. He went to speak, but Madara beat him to it. "Learn to be grateful! Had I not been watching, you could have been seriously injured or dead! You should be thanking me, you ungrateful brat! Now Tajima-sama will have no use of you in our upcoming battle with that arm of yours!"

Oh, this was not going to end well. Their quarrels _never_ ended well. Although he knew Anju should thank him, for he was sure she too could see and smell Madara's singed and burnt clothing, hair, and skin, and it was not pleasant, Madara was being a dick about the ordeal, as expected. Could they maybe just get along for once? Just once would be nice.

A challenge flashed in Anju's eyes and she stepped forward. "How about I show you how good my arm is, _Madara-sama_?" Izuna sweat dropped as his brother and Anju came face to face, just an inch or so away from each other. It was just another day for them. "I dare you to even try, wench." He was really trying to get under Anju's skin, and he did. He caught Anju's right fist as she swung at him, holding it firmly and casuing her quite some pain. His eyebrows rose in amusement. "You dare try to hit me?"

"You made a challenge and I took it, Madara-sama." Anju pulled her arm back and folded it over her stomach, trying to hide the obvious pain he had caused her.

His stoic face gazed down at her small form, secretly admiring her mettle as he stepped away and Izuna came to her rescue. What had happened was utterly stupid, and he was angered that both had made such a mistake – a mistake that could have killed Anju, and he didn't think she realized that. There was little time to think about it further, and what had been done could not be undone. There were more important matters for him to currently attend to, such as the morning meeting skipper, Izuna.

"Izuna, take Anju to the medics to get her arm looked at," he then looked at Anju as she went to speak against him, "and you will not protest. Then you will return home and get your father and younger brother to join us for a meeting in a few hours, one you will _both attend_ this time around."

The pair sheepishly looked at each other, caught in their little deceit from this morning. "And Izuna," Madara jumped down to the ground and looked up at his brother sternly, knowing he was planning on not coming home, "you will return home when you are done with her so we may talk. Understood?"

A sigh escaped Izuna's lips as Madara disappeared to god knows where, and spoke anwyays, for he knew he could still hear him. "Hai, nii-san." His eyes looked down at Anju, overcome with guilt. He could have killed her minutes ago. Sensing his guilt, she smiled at him. "I'm alright, Izuna. Don't worry about me."

Pressing his face into her wet hair, he sighed again. She was alive and she was alright, expect for the dirty move he had pulled on her. He kissed her head before he left her personal space, allowing her to jump down from the branch and walk on her own. "I can't believe you were about to hit my nii-san."

The tense atmosphere broke and the pair broke into laughter, though Anju was still distracted by what had just happened. She shook it from her head, or at least tried to, and wrapped an arm around Izuna. "I never back down from a challenge."


	2. Chapter 2: Chance

The gloomy morning rolled out of the way, replacing itself with a high sun and warmth, which was a welcomed sign in early April. The last of the snow had gone, and that meant the garden of the Uchiha Clan would soon be blooming with flowers of all sorts. Izuna currently looked over the budding garden, an absolute masterpiece his mother had created. When it bloomed, it was his favorite place to be. It was even more soothing than a walk in the woods.

Next to him, his elder brother thought similar things. He too was an admirer of the garden, whether it be full of flowers or, as it was in winter, a creepy wonderland that was still so magnificent. His favorite thing about this garden though, as kept between he and his brother, was fact their mother, now deceased, had made such a beautiful place. It was a piece of her they would always be able to keep.

But, the serenity did not last long. Izuna, an unsuspecting victim who had naively drifted off into daydreams of what it used to be like – with their mother and younger siblings around that is – was abruptly smacked in the back of the head, and rather hard at that.

He reeled back, rubbing the sore spot that was already forming a large bump, and glared at his elder brother. "What the hell was that for!?"

Madara, seemingly unfazed, continued to look onto the afternoon horizon as if nothing had taken place, though he was ready for anything Izuna tried to throw at him. That just so happened to be a left hook, which he tactfully dodged, perching himself on one of the bridges posts. "Someone has a temper."

"You hit me! What the hell do you expect?" A headache came over Izuna, one he was actually quite familiar with, since Madara hit him quite a lot. Not that Izuna didn't hit Madara a lot, but Madara usually got the first hit. Just when he thought he could his guard down around his own brother…

Crouching down, Madara put his hand on his little brother's head, holding him in place for the time being. "Well, you did skip out on a very important meeting this morning, _and_ talked me into giving a clan ally more than a generous amount of time to complete their resource shipment, and," Madara smirked, "I just felt like smacking you." Izuna's eyes twitched as his sharingan activated itself. That was it. Madara arrogant smirk sent him over the edge, and the two quarreled on the bridge, careful not to harm anything in the garden.

Unlike his previous fight with Anju, which was a combination of hand-to-hand and ninjutsu, he and his brother stuck to simply sparring, not that it wasn't just as exciting. The power that radiated from both parties in every blow, kick, and block was unmatched. This was why they were so looked up to in the clan and feared by all others – their raw power.

It was some time before either side showed signs of an end, not because they were tired but because a meeting was to begin soon. Actually, neither of them really wanted to stop. The smiles and laughter of the two filled the air as the clashed again, not for blood, but because it was quite enjoyable. This was sibling bonding time, something both took great pride in.

Eventually, the two came to halt on the bridge, silently agreeing to stop despite how entertaining it was to spar with one another. "So, a draw then, until next time?" Stepping forward, Madara ruffled his younger brother's hair, showing a side of himself no one but Izuna had ever seen. "Of course. Maybe next time you'll be serious about it." Though he was merely teasing him as a brother would, Izuna pushed him away, in which Madara responded by putting him in a headlock and patting the top of his head. "I'm just joking with you, little brother. Now tell me, what is it that bothers you?"

Despite Madara's hard exterior, he always had and always would have a soft spot for his younger brother like no other. That's just how he was. Hard and cold to all those around him, but the moment Izuna came around, he was immediately more reasonable and caring, though it was mostly towards Izuna. So when Izuna was having a problem, Madara wanted to know about it, no matter what it was. His little brother's happiness came above all else, including his own.

And no one was more aware of this than Izuna. Next to Anju, he knew he could trust Madara with anything and everything. This matter though… he knew he could not speak to Anju about it much, for it would give away his true intentions – intentions he had yet to share with Madara.

"How did you do it?" Izuna walked away from his brother and back to the railing of the bridge, leaning against it as he looked at Madara. "How did you get out marriage?"

So… that's what this was about. Madara suspected it was such, but he had never intended to stress Izuna out to the point of skipping out on his duties as a member of the council and as one of the leader's sons. With a sigh, he rejoined Izuna, "I am more of a person of conflict and you are more harmonious. That is how I got out of it. I simply yelled at Otōsan and he stopped pestering me."

Izuna suspected such a thing, and Madara was right. He was not one to yell at his elders or father, but Madara was. "Could you do the same for me, nii-san? I don't want to get married to any of the women he has picked out."

Patting his little brothers back, Madara smirked, though it was sad one. "I would, but you have to stand up to him sooner or later. I too hold such respect for him, but he can't pressure you to get married. Imagine how miserable you'll be marrying someone you don't love and have nothing in common with. It be a marriage purely for the sake of expanding the clan."

Madara's words hit home, exposing what Tajima was really trying to do. But, Izuna did not want to tell his father he would not get married, for he did have one person in mind who was going through the same thing as he. The same pressure, the same feelings, and the same fear of disappointing fathers that expected too much of them in the marriage department.

The silence dragged on, and Madara glanced at Izuna, who was deep in thought, clearly fighting within himself about something serious. It was as if he was analyzing enemies in battle, but without the sharingan, and this battle seemed to be internal. Being the observant person he was, Madara could guess what it was about. His body language and pulse spoke wonders to Madara's sharingan.

"What's her name?"

The question caught Izuna by surprise, but at the same time he was not. Madara was a very observant person and not much could get past him. It only took him seconds to piece a puzzle together, much like this one. Though, Izuna was reluctant to speak, nervous of what Madara may think of his choice of woman. An image of thick, wild raven black hair, playful eyes, and a soft, loving face flashed through his mind filled with laughter from earlier. "It should be obvious, nii-san," Izuna smiled fondly as he looked to Madara, "Anju."

Madara shouldn't have been surprised by his choice, but he was. He had always thought the pair to be just friends and just that. Never did he think there were romantic feelings between them, or maybe it was a one-way thing. If so, Madara didn't want to see his little brother get hurt, or lose his friendship with Anju – as much as he disliked the woman. She meant a great deal to Izuna.

"Is it worth it, Izuna?" He closed his eyes, "Is it worth losing your friendship with her?"

That was the very question Izuna had been asking himself. And he had one answer to that very serious question. "Hai, I think it is." The smile on Izuna's face could have warmed anyone's heart, "I couldn't imagine a woman better for me, nor a better man for her. We already love each other, it's just a matter of me asking her. That I think is the hardest part."

"I am not a liar, Izuna, so I will tell you straight," Madara moved so his back now rested against the bridge railing, "I don't think it is a good idea. You don't know how she feels or if she even wants to be more than friends. Maybe she doesn't want to get married at all, Izuna. She is very into her life as a kunoichi, and you know that comes first to her. You may know your feelings, but do you know hers?"

Izuna's smile did not falter, but the look on his face changed. He was visibly hurt by his brother's words, but he was also angered by them. "Madara," he frowned at him, "I know you hate Anju, but I didn't know you hated her so much that you wouldn't want me to be happy."

At first, Madara thought Izuna was guilt tripping him, which he often did. He had picked up the skill from his mother and frequently used it on his elder brother to get his way if physical confrontation did not work. But, that was not the case. This was not his guilt tripping face – he was actually angry and upset with what his brother had said. Very angry at that.

"Do you hate her that much?"

Madara closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "I'm just trying to look out for you, Izuna, you know that. You are my little brother and it's my job. I don't want you to get your heart broken, especially by that little…" He trailed off, cracking his neck as he avoided the insulting words forming on his lips, for they wouldn't help him in this situation. "I just don't want you to regret doing this."

It was a difficult emotion for Madara to show, even towards and around Izuna, but Izuna saw it. He saw the caring look in his eyes that appeared every once in a great while, with his face full of concern and so many emotions Izuna couldn't pinpoint just one. What he couldn't see however was the fury of emotions going through Madara's head, and the one the reigned supreme above all was anger. What he was angry about he did not know. It was a type he had felt before but he could not remember where or when.

"I know you are trying to protect me nii-san," Izuna smiled at his brother, forgiving him, "but if I don't try I will never know. Fair enough?" He looked skeptically at his brother. Well, he warned him. "If things don't go how you planned – I told you so. And I will not comfort you. You can cry in your room and starve yourself to death and I will not feel sorry for you."

That was as close to Madara giving him approval or a go ahead as he would get. But, it was all he needed, and he grinned like an idiot. "Thank you, nii-san. But, you will be wrong. I'll see you at the meeting with her answer!"

Swiftly, Madara grabbed the back of Izuna's high collared gray shirt and held him in place with narrowed eyes. "No, you are going straight to the meeting. I will go get Anju, just to make sure you won't skip out on your duties."

He tried to protest, but Madara was already gone. He already knew what Madara most likely had in mind, and he hoped Anju would forgive him for letting his brother get loose.

 **OoO**

Anju sighed as she sat on a cot in the hospital of the Uchiha Clan. Her arm hand been wrapped and had been put in a sling for the time being. Why she was still here was beyond her, but she wouldn't disobey the medic nins here. They would tell Madara and Madara would yell at her, again. All he ever did was lecture her, and all he needed was the opportunity.

Her assigned nurse walked back into her room with a clipboard. Anju rolled her eyes as the young girl smiled at her. "Well, everything looks good. Just rest your arm and it will be fine."

"I already knew that! Now can I please go?" The young nurse shrank away as Anju raised her voice, getting angry that this place was making a big deal out of something so small.

Rubbing the back of her neck, the young nurse slowly backed out of the room. "S-Sorry Anju-sama, but it is Madara-sama's orders," the young nurse glanced behind her and started backing out, "speaking of which…"

Anju's eyes widened and then narrowed as Madara entered her line of sight. "Where is Izuna?"

Madara remained expressionless as he approached her and stood across from her. "He is already at the council. I came to retrieve you instead him, in case you two decided you wanted to abandon your responsibilities like children."

She gritted her teeth together as she stood, with Madara by her side. They walked out of the infirmary in silence with a tense atmosphere. No conversation could be made since they never talked or bothered to learn anything about each other. They could barely stand each other's presence and conversed only when forced.

Their silence was broke though as a sudden sharp pain struck Anju's injured arm, causing her to hold it tighter to her abdomen and clutch it with her good arm, though that did nothing but make it worse. The arm was healing and it was rather painful. Even more so since she had not been given any painkillers.

"Do you need to return to the infirmary?" Anju looked up at Madara, who's brow was scrunched together in a very un-Madara way. It was something she did not see from him very often. Not that she paid attention but…

"No, I'm fine. It's just healing." They looked away from each other awkwardly and tried to focus on something else. Though they hated each other for reasons unknown, it was tempting to hold a conversation. The only reason they did not? They did not know what to speak about. What were two people who despised each other supposed to talk about?

Still, the air around them was so awkward and tense, Anju finally broke the silence. "Um, how are your burns from Izuna's fireball? Nothing too serious?" She gulped, not because she fear Madara himself, but feared what he would say. Despite what people said, words did hurt.

She only asked hoping she would no longer feel uncomfortable, but was wrong. He surprised her though. "Already healed. But my clothes and hair are a different story. I'm going to have to cut it to even it again."

The awkward atmosphere began to disappear, but no further words were said. At least, not nice words. "I would expect a thank you from earlier, or are you that ungrateful?"

She gritted her teeth. "I had everything under control. I did not need your assistance, therefore I am not thanking you. I'm not some weakling who needs saving."

"Today showed otherwise. You apparently do need saving. You are slow and you are weak. You have the sharingan, so use it!"

Anju narrowed her eyes at him. "You are such an arrogant bastard! Just because I'm not as perfect as the great Madara Uchiha? You're an ignorant asshole!"

"Why you little wench!" Madara roughly grabbed her uninjured arm and pulled her in front of him. "You watch how you speak to me. There is a limit to how much of your insolence I can take, and if you don't watch it, I will have no problem putting you to the ground where you belong!" Madara pushed her away, and they continued in a tense, angry silence until they came to the council hall.

They entered the council with storms in their hearts, though Anju's disappeared as she found Izuna, and so did Madara's as he found his brother. Izuna was more concerned for Anju though, much to Madara's disdain. "How was your walk?"

Anju's eyes narrowed at the ground in front of her. "I hate your brother."

With a roll of his eyes, he placed an arm over Anju's shoulders and sighed. "What's new?"

Next to Izuna, Madara stood and watched the two out of the corner of his eye. Since their father was not present for this meeting, Madara was forced to take over. This was the third time this week and not making him look any better.

"Shall we begin?" Madara started and looked across the room. Nods of approval started the conversation, but everyone was looking for Tajima. This was very irresponsible of him. It was mostly the same as before, but this time they had to discuss someone to lead a forward squad night.

"Daichi is sick with the flu and will be unable to fight tomorrow. We need someone to take control of the forward squad!"

"Actually, I was hoping for a different approach." Madara stood, grabbing the rooms attention. "I say we send in a team of seven to scope out what we're up against. We lost too many last time. That seven can start us out, and on their signal, we can surprise the Senju with a full force. Make it look like a scouting mission at first."

"Madara, what you speak of is suicide! Sending seven out against an army? It's madness!"

"Who would even lead it? No one is crazy enough to do that!"

Madara looked around, this quickly scaling into an argument. "I'll lead it."

The whole room went quiet. A single hand was bravely – or stupidly – held in the air, "If there are no others who want it, of course."

Madara's eyes narrowed down at the woman as she stood from her seat and looked straight at him. He wasn't expecting her to want to lead this team, especially with that arm of hers. There was also what one of the members had just confirmed – it would be a suicide mission, if not done correctly. "I don't know if you're suited."

Anju removed her injured arm from its sling and flexed her fingers before crossing her arms over her chest, proving that the injury was no longer bothersome, or so she made them believe. "I think I am. They need to strong leader, and I will bring only those whom I deem capable of handling an army. Many of you may think of it as a suicide missions, but if the right shinobi are put into play, it could be a great advantage. Isamu for example is excellent at hiding multiple chakra signatures. If he stayed behind, he would be able to hide the chakra signatures of all the men in the second wave. We would be making ourselves the bait, but it would be worth it in the end."

Nods and voices of approval became apparent, and Madara looked on pleased, but not so pleased Anju had volunteered herself for something so dangerous and difficult. He turned to her specifically, and she turned to him, leaving Izuna sitting between them awaiting an argument to arise. "You do realize that you and six others will be going into unclaimed territory against a hundred or so of the strongest in the Senju clan, possibly even its leader. It can mean certain death for you and the shinobi that choose to go with you, if any."

"It's a risk I'll take, and a risk you are willing to take as well." Anju held her head high and held her own authority. This is the opportunity she had been waiting for to remind the Uchiha Clan she still was a capable Uchiha. To prove to Madara Uchiha she was capable.

"I'll go with you." Izuna stood, but Anju shook her head. "No, you will stay with Madara. It's all part of the plan." He understood where she was coming from, and sat down, patiently awaiting for others to raise hands. This was her chance.

"I'll go." The first to stand was one of the clans best ninjutsu users, Kaito. Anju nodded in approval and soon others followed. Next was an explosives expert, Kazuo, then a skilled genjutsu pair Michi and Suzu. That left two spots the needed filling.

"Count me in, Onēsan." Confidently, Anju's younger brother stood amongst the others with his hand raised. As much as she wanted to say no, she knew there was no reason to. He was strong and capable, and she knew he was well versed in all things. After all, she had trained him. It left one more.

"Oh what the hell," Anju smiled as the last one stood, Yuuta, "I need some excitement in my life nowadays." Though no older than thirty, he was the oldest on the team and a veteran on the battlefield. He would be very helpful to have around.

"Well, Madara-sama?" Madara looked around the room, before sighing and looking at Anju. "You have until tomorrow at sundown."

Anju and Madara exchanged glances before parting ways. Madara stayed in council to discuss other matters, while Anju left to discuss a plan with a team for tomorrow night. They were all going to need it.


	3. Chapter 3: You

She had really done it now. It wasn't until she had left the council room that she realized what kind of mission she was taking on. Madara had given her all the information they possessed on the situation, and it did not look to be in the Uchiha's favor, or at least in wasn't until her meeting with her team had concluded.

After they had left, she grabbed her younger brother, Hisen, and took him to an afternoon lunch at her home. It had been a long time since they had spent quality time together, and by a long time, it had only been a little over a week. However, since Anju had moved out of her father's prestigious compound, they had seen each other less and less. Of course she felt guilty for it. She spent more time with Izuna than her own brother, not that she didn't regret it. Izuna just…

"I know that look."

A thin, well-groomed brow raised in confusion at Hisen's statement. "What are you talking about what? What look?"

Hisen laughed his boyish laugh, one that was so carefree. He may be younger than her by three years, but that didn't mean he knew less than she. In fact, he was positive he knew more than her in many areas. Who she was thinking about was one of them. "You're thinking about Izuna."

As soon as the words left his mouth, his older sister slapped the back of his head, sending him stumbling forward. Instead of complaining, he laughed and rubbed the bump, a lively and mischievous look in his eyes. He loved to cause trouble, especially if it involved Anju and Izuna.

"I am not! How would you even guess that?" A glare rested on her face rather than an embarrassed blush.

Chuckling, Hisen threw an arm around her shoulders and brought her into a headlock as they continued to walk. "First off, you have that small dumb smile on your face like a love struck dove." he felt her struggling and began rubbing her head rather hard. He laughed. "Second, you get that twinkle in your eyes, and third, your face shines like you've just had sex… which brings us to the question," he finally let her go, dodging her fist as she went to punch him. This led to a series of punches, kicks, and dodges, until Anju held him on the ground with her arm around his neck.

"I dare you to say it." Hisen smiled like a loon as she held him do tightly. He loved pissing her off. Absolutely loved it. And, he wasn't going to back down from it. For years he had been trying to get her face to turn red with embarrassment, but never once had she. One could say it was his ultimate goal in life – embarrass his sister to the point of developing a face redder than the sharingan. Or at least a shade of pink.

So, he said it, or rather a couple things. "Tell me, do you always lay with Izuna every morning?" The grip around his neck tightened, but her face stayed a glare and did not turn red. He laughed a little, but only because she was getting so angry over something they both knew not to be true. He supposed that was because of her feelings towards the young man he spoke of. It made it all the better. "I've heard rumors he makes his women glow like such, yet you haven't lain with him. Imagine what you'll look like when you do!"

She let him go, but only to draw her sword on him. "You are so childish!" Instead of being angry, she laughed, though he could see in her eyes she was still quite furious with him. "You're going to pay for your lies, Otōto."

They mostly stuck with hand-to-hand, to which Anju found he had new tricks up his sleeve, and it pleased her greatly. It was simple, with sword fighting and hand-to-hand, and nothing like the battle she had waged with Izuna earlier this morning. It had taken awhile, as they were both so engrossed in their match, but Anju noticed Izuna before Hisen had. Her eyes landed back on Hisen just as his fist came towards her face, and she dropped before he could hit her, landing on her right hand.

It sent a shock wave through her arm and as she fell she kicked Hisen's feet from underneath him, and they both went down. Even though she knew he was watching them intently, she laughed. "You bastard."

Hisen lay on the ground and laughed. "Maybe you should pay attention to me and not your boyfriend, Onēsan." In turn, she glared at the looming gray and white clouds. It was as if the sky could not decide if it should be angry or if it should be serene. "If I paid more attention to you than my boyfriend, I would be insane."

Izuna jumped down and landed next to Hisen, and helped him up with a kind hand. "A bit longer and you'll be the one standing on top of your sister." Hisen smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. He was not usually comfortable with receiving compliments.

The older Uchiha held his hand out to Anju with a smile. "You alright, Anju?"

Anju took Izuna's hand and he pulled her up, causing her to fall into him. She smiled as she looked up at him – not today Hisen. Not today. "Hai, I'm alright Izuna." He chuckled, vibrating them both, "Better watch yourself. Hisen isn't a little kid anymore." He let her go and she looked over at Hisen, a small glare on her face. Izuna better not have heard them or Hisen was dead.

"I can leave if you'd like?" The look Hisen sent her made her glare at him. "You're a–"

Izuna put his hand over her mouth, "Language." Hisen nodded with a smirk and started to walk away. "I'll see you later, Onēsan!"

With Hisen gone, Anju chuckled as Izuna let her go, and was immediately faced with his sword. Anju's back was to Izuna but her body was turned towards him to block his blow. The glint in Izuna's eyes excited her. The man was on a mission. And he was. He was determined to have this woman. He would have this woman, and he would not let anyone else take her. They would have to defeat him if they wanted her. The only question was – did she feel the same?

"We didn't talk much earlier," he pushed her back, "so how's life?"

The two clashed again, this time both parties putting all their strength into the blow, causing a small crater to be made in the ground. "Well, I'm set to be married by the end of the year," Anju kicked Izuna away, "so just lovely."

Izuna used his sword and swung himself back around. End of the year? That was rather quick. Anju's birthday was in just a couple weeks. She would be turning twenty-one and finally be as old as him again. Even though it was still early in the year, to be set to be married by the end…

Blocking another attack from Anju, first with his sword and then grabbing her foot with the other hand as it came at him. "Have anyone in mind?" Although he knew the answer to that, he didn't want to just come out and say it. He wanted to have a little sun with it first.

"Well, not really. There is one I get along with and I actually find appealing, but I have him at the bottom of my list, as I'm not sure how he feels about it." Izuna spun her leg, intending to slam her against the ground, but she summersaulted as she hit the ground, rolling away from him.

Saddened and now slightly angry, Izuna glared in his mind. Anju actually had someone in mind? Now what was he going to do? He could get rid of the competition, and that was saying it lightly.

The two went back for each other, dancing with each other and their swords. "What about you? Is there a set date?"

"No, but my Otōsan has a few women lined up for me to meet," Izuna hopped away and spun his sword in his hand, "one of them will become my wife."

"Who are they?" Anju stabbed her sword into the ground and hopped on top of it, skillfully balancing herself on one foot. Izuna did the same and started listing off the women with his fingers, watching her face as he did so. And he was not disappointed. "There's Izumi."

Anju rolled her eyes. "She's very pretty, strong, but not very bright. You have a hard time holding a conversation with her as it is."

"Hai, I know. Then there's Yuki." Izuna shuttered at the thought, as did Anju. "She's way too bubbly and hyper for you. A fighter yes, but not very good. I've saved her countless of times."

"As have I. She is definitely off the list. The last of them are Natsuki, Rei, and Akane."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Anju crouched down. "Akane is a good sparring partner, bright, and full of talent. She'd make a good mother as well. Rei is very young…about seventeen I believe, and still has a lot to learn. She lacks discipline and is not the feisty women you want. Natsuki would be an alright choice, since she matches your intelligence and is feisty, but she lacks the looks."

Izuna could not agree more with her. None of those women met what he wanted, all except the one standing before him. It was a ludicrous thought, as well as a proposal, but it would save them both the humility and suffering of marrying someone they would not love. He already loved Anju, and she already loved him, and he knew it. All he had to do was ask her.

Now was his chance to get her back for this suitor, and ask her as well, before she was taken. "I have another, but you have to beat me in order to know who it is. No swords, no ninjutsu, no sharingan – just hands."

Intrigued, Anju got off her sword and stood a two feet away from Izuna. They bowed to each other, and then began. There was a lot of twisting and sliding on the ground, but it was still lovely to watch. They held beautiful balance and posture, moving elegantly together even though they were fighting each other. It was a dance and they were perfect partners.

As Anju swung her leg to hit Izuna, he crouched down and swung his leg to knock her off her feet, but she side flipped and twirled around in time to block him again. He ducked down in repetition to avoid her kicks, and on a tenth time, he grabbed her ankle. She dodged his punch and when he came back again, she caught his fist.

In a flurry of movements, Izuna caught Anju's fists in his hands, and knew he had her right where he wanted her. So, he spun her around, pulled a kunai, and held it to her neck. Both of them panted wildly, though Anju had to calm herself, as the sharp and cold blade of Izuna's kunai was pressing against her throat rather hard. Now, she would not know who Izuna's other women was, and she knew that woman was the one who would choose, given how hush-hush he was about it. But, Izuna had other plans.

Leaning down so his lips touched her ear, he sheathed the kunai pack in its pouch, and gathered up his courage. He wanted to ask her, but he was so nervous. "On the count of three, we both say who we have chosen, alright?"

She nodded and was able to turn around to face him. "One."

Izuna nodded nervously. "Two."

They held their hands up and held three fingers up each. They took deep breaths and opened their mouths to speak. It was a nerve-racking couple of seconds, with so many thoughts going through each of their heads.

"You."

"You."

They reeled back from each other's answers, not quite believing what the other had just said. "You want to court me?"

Izuna smiled nervously. "Hai. I've known you since we were kids, and I will admit – I have had this crush on you for a long time. If I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone, I'd want it to be you."

Deeply touched by Izuna's words, Anju hugged him and he hugged her. He wanted to marry her. The joy and love she felt emanating from his being was overwhelming "I know you may think me a liar, but I have had the same crush as well."

Izuna's chuckle rang in her ears. "I know one thing you do not do is lie."

Now, an unanswered question was left hanging in the air. It was a big step, agreeing to a courtship. It was also a big step for Izuna to ask. Anju knew that. The moment she agreed, their destinies were set. They would most likely be getting married in the months to come, and although she knew Izuna was perfect for her, she was not quite ready to confirm. Why? Her freedom would dwindle, even if he promised it wouldn't. She would become more centered in the village, and she feared the respect the council had for her would disappear. She didn't think she was ready, not yet.

Then, he spoke her mind. "I know how you are feeling, Anju, and I just want you to know that I am here for you. Take your time, but know I'm right here." She smiled and looked up at him. "And that is why I love you, Izuna."

A large grin spread across his face. "And here I thought you only loved me for my looks."

She giggled. "You really come up with everything, don't you?"

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's all part of being a great warrior and battle planner." She shook her head. There really was no reason for her to say no, except for the fear of change. Change and hurt. Though she knew Izuna would never hurt her, there was a chance that they could hurt each other, and she did not want to lose him. So many things that scared her, and she knew they scared him to.

"Izuna," she felt him smirk into her hair and she rolled her eyes, "Words cannot do justice with how much I appreciate you."

"And I you, my little Anju. I will wait for your answer, even though it will kill me."

And she knew it to be true. As she looked into his eyes, with her forehead resting against his, her body glowed from the love he showed her and the love she felt for him. So much so she could kiss him right now...

Then, a horn blew, and they let go of each other. That meant there was to be a war meeting with the council, one neither could miss. They looked at each other and nodded. Izuna pulled both of their swords from the ground and sheathed his. He then gave Anju hers and she did the same. "Shall we, my lady?"

Unknown to them, they had been watched. A tree broke in half as an unknown rage and anger smashed its fist through its tough bark. Why the assailant was angry was beyond him. He should be happy for them, but he was not. His chest told him that something was wrong, but his mind told him that this was something to rejoice in. His brother had found a woman, and it was one whom he adored greatly. He could not understand for the love of his clan, why he held such anger towards Izuna and Anju's newly found courtship. Why would it bother him? All he wanted was for Izuna to be happy.

With a grunt, he jumped down from the tree and started walking towards the village. It would look bad if he did not show up, as he was to be the next clan leader. But he could not shake this anger, which grew with every passing second. He just wanted to know why he was so angry about this. What was wrong with him?


	4. Chapter 4: In The Heat of War

The night was cool and wet, with a storm overhead. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed all around for everyone to see and hear. It was a great night for a fight, for Anju at least. With lightning already abundant, performing lightning based attacks would be a bonus in her department. She led the front with three on either side of her to form a 'V' shape. She wore no major armor today, only her dark blue high-collared shirt that split in the middle with the Uchiha Clan's symbol on the back and black ninja pants with matching ninja shoes. Some with her had a similar look while others wore armor. The only armor she had on was around her forearms, both above and underneath for full protection.

They stopped atop three branches, with Michi, Kazuo, and Kaito on one branch, then Suzu, Hisen, and Yuuta on the second, and Anju stood on the third with her two eagles perched above her. "Michi and Kaito – assist Kazuo in his explosives. Suzu, Hisen, and Yuuta – spread yourselves out and wait for my signal. Understood?"

Nods of approval came simultaneously, and then the six disappeared to get started on their work. Anju crouched down on her branch as her two golden eagles, Ken and Ren, landed next to her. "Well, let's work." She leapt to the ground and above her the eagles flew, and with a scree signaled that there were, in fact, Senju present. Hopefully Kazuo, Michi, and Kaito would still be able to set their explosives.

To buy them some time, Anju formulated a plan inside her head. With a sigh, she stepped out of the tree line and walked onto the bank where a group of Senju stood. They grabbed their weapons as she approached the water and turned to them. Her onyx eyes bore into each of them as they held the Senju flag, ready to claim the land. "Now, you didn't think you'd get this territory without a fight, did you?"

A blonde with golden eyes and pale skin stood at the head of the pack. She could feel his chakra. It was by far the most menacing she had ever encountered, equal to or greater than Madara's. She stood before him though, unfazed by the immense power this one boy held. Years of standing up to Madara let her remain calm and unfearful.

He stepped forward with no sword drawn and instead held his hands out as he spoke, unlike the others she had their swords drawn. "Is this what the Uchiha send? A female for tribute? How thoughtful."

She smirked, her eyes turning red as she approached the blonde man. "The Uchiha do not disrespect their women, let alone give them as compensation. Even if you were worthy and not a repulsive little shit, you would not be worthy of an Uchiha woman."

The blonde male drew his sword, twirling it in his hand. "A self-respecting and dignified bitch, aren't you? Well, we'll see if you hold such views when we're finished here."

His arrogance flowed off him like blood. It made her angry and sick at the same time. She'd knock the overconfident smirk right off his face. He made the first move. Metal clashed with metal as kunai collided with shuriken. The orange sparks lit up in the darkness around them, providing another source of light besides the stars. She found herself surrounded by nine Senju, minus the blonde, who stood a ways away like a coward.

With the help of the sharingan, she kept up with the nine youngsters, with the youngest looking to be around eight and the oldest seventeen. They were inexperienced, making it much less fun. She played with them until a kunai pierced the back of the youngest, sending him to the ground. Behind another, a boy with silver hair, Michi appeared and snapped his neck. "Anju-san." She nodded in recognition, "Ill leave these to you."

She looked towards the blonde as he stood in front of the forest. "Well, blondie? Are you going to stand there like a peppy little princess who lives with the feudal lord, or are you going to stand like a man and pull that goldy-locks hair of yours into a ponytail and fight?"

Her words angered the blonde and he forced his sword against hers. "Bring it on, sweetie."

While her mind remained in the battle with this arrogant blonde, the rest of her concentrated on the fast approaching Senju forces. So, they had had the same plan. She was not surprised, however. But, she had to stay focused. She had to signal at the right time.

It had been a mistake on her part, by focusing too much on the approaching Senju forces rather than the battle, and the blonde's sword pierced her right shoulder, pinning her to the ground. She hissed in pain as he twisted the blade and she grabbed it, cutting her hand. "Well, it looks like the bitch is down. Any last words?"

Her hand gripped the blade tightly and her eyes narrowed at him and his arrogant face. "Fly!" As she yelled the word, Ren and Ken took off, with Ren heading in the direction of the Uchiha and Ken flew down to grab the blondes hood, giving her just enough time to pull the blade from her shoulder and spin on her back, knocking the blonde down with a swing of her leg at his feet.

Then, the bombs went off. As the Senju crossed the stream, Kazou made a seal and the land was enveloped in smoke a fire. The first of the Senju to reach the land were ended and blown to pieces. She sheathed her sword and took a kunai from a pouch on her leg and held her injured arm against her abdomen.

Then, four large balls of flame came from the sky, followed by Hisen, Yuuta, Kaito, and Suzu. Of course, seven against an army was a hard task, but not impossible. Three years ago she had taken out a force of men with Izuna, but that was of different circumstances. She did not have a useless arm, and then they were not expecting backup, which was five minutes behind.

"Your men are fast – I'll give them that." Her kunai met anothers, screeching at the pressure. She felt a presence from behind, and then ended. A smirk crossed her lips as she felt Hisen's chakra behind her. Then, it disappeared and was replaced with an enemy.

As she fought the two with difficulty, she noticed Michi and his sister Suzu having difficulties of their own with three Senju. Wanting to help them, she jumped up between them and decided to start early and began her hand seals. "Fire Release: Great Flame Flower!"

She took a piece out of Madara's book, since he wasn't present and couldn't see her use it. She had seen him use it once or twice and was eager to try it out as many Senju came out to the battlefield. She created only five, but it was good enough for her. Her teammates moved out of the way as the balls of fire hit the ground and burst into larger flames.

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and barely had time to turn around and block the attack with her sword. It was the blonde princess from before. He smirked. "Ready to play, tribute?"

She pushed against his sword and they were practically face-to-face. "Bring it on, pretty princess."

And so their fight began. They were equally matched in their skills, much to their surprise, as Anju fought with her injured arm. But while Anju fought him, she also had to watch out for her fellow clansmen, having to stop her fight with the blonde a few times to help them out. If she was correct, Madara and Izuna would be here soon to help finish the fight, which would be great. They were already late.

Her focus was cut short as she heard a scream and looked just in time to see a sword piercing through Kazou's leg. It was a stupid mistake. She went flying backwards, landing on her stomach. She shakily lifted her head just to see another blade pierce Kazou's chest. He fell to the ground and immediately died.

Her eyes raged and she looked at the blonde who came at her. She stood, leaving her sword on the ground and deciding to rely on her vambraces. She ran at him and met him halfway, her left arm coming into contact with his sword. His sword continuously clashed against her limited armor, until she finally got her opening and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying into a rock. As he hit, she was surrounded by three more Senju. She stood panting. "Come on! Anytime now would be great!"

It was Anju against four, and at first it was going well, but that was only minutes. She was able to keep up with the blonde and his friends thanks to her sharingan, but they were beginning to overpower her and her injuries. One or two would perform ninjutsu, while the rest came at her with swords. It was hard to keep up. So hard in fact she accidentally let one of the swords tear through her clothing and cut her right arm, though not too terribly deep.

As another sword came down on her, she watched as they went flying, with a kunai in their stomach. A certain Uchiha with his hair in a small ponytail and smile stood next to her. "Anju – are you alright?"

She nodded. "Hai, I'm fine Izuna. Thanks." They both deflected the kunai and shuriken that came towards them, standing back to back. "Thank me later.!" She couldn't agree more. With Izuna at her side, they were a lethal combo, especially with his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Well," they stood next to each other, catching their breaths, "that's the last of them."

Izuna and Anju walked over to Madara, with Anju holding her arm as blood seeped from it. The rest of the clansmen were celebrating the victory as the Senju retreated. Among the bodies though, Anju did not see the blonde shinobi, which meant he had escaped. That meant he would be returning to the Senju.

"Looking for someone?"

Anju looked up at Madara, who was covered in blood, though none of it his own. "He was a blonde with yellow eyes and pale skin. He's not amongst the others."

"He was lucky then." Madara nodded to her, the most recognition she ever got from him. But, he then proceeded to approach her and look to her arm. He touched her shoulder with a gloved hand and she flinched. "Get those looked at immediately. Wait too long and they may get infected."

She chuckled and began walking away towards Hisen, "When we get back to the village. I feel fine, after all." It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't entirely a truth either. She felt lightheaded and a little sick, but she thought nothing of it. She met up with Hisen and Izuna, and took off with them. The cleanup crew would take care of the mess there, and already the stench of burning flesh hit her nose. As always, the Uchiha burnt the bodies of the enemies who were left behind.

"You're going to the infirmary as soon as we get back. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Although she did not want to, she nodded, but with weary eyes. "Why were you late?"

"It seems the Senju sent a team the long way around. We had to take them out before we arrived here." It was a lie and that much was obvious. "You can tell me the truth later then." She went to speed up, but her vision became blurry when she did so. She shook her head, willing the headache to go away and for her vision to return. But, it did not happen. She blacked out for a moment, and her foot slipped on the branch she leapt to. In that split second, she found herself in Izuna's arms and on the ground, with Hisen and Izuna. "Anju, are you really alright?"

As Izuna let her stand, a shooting pain coursed through her arm, and she gripped her shoulder injury as she knelt to the ground. It burned like fire. Her eyes wandered to the wound, and widened as she saw the veins in the surrounding area turning black. "I-I-Izuna..."

The young man looked at his companion in fear as she held her stomach and heaved up whatever had been in her stomach that day. He held her hair and she slumped against him. "Anju! Anju, wake up!" He cupped her face with his hand as her she struggled to keep herself awake. "I don't…feel…well…"

Frantically, he looked around. There were no others around them, not for at least fifteen minutes. Could they afford to wait? As Anju gripped her shoulder once again and hissed in pain, he knew the answer. She protested, but Izuna scooped her up in his arms, and took off with Hisen. They were still a good hour away from home. Would she make it? He had just gotten her, and now he would lose her? Is that what he got for waiting to take her as a last resort?

"Hang in there, Anju. Just stay awake." She pressed her face into his battle-clothed chest, her hands clinging to his clothes. "Hmmm…my savior…"

A small, almost unrecognizable smile registered on Izuna's lips as she looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. "Always, Anju. Just hand in there."

The hour it took to get back to the Uchiha compound was the most agonizing Izuna, Hisen, and Anju had ever experienced. Upon their arrival, Hisen stopped Izuna. "Izuna, I know you are attached to her, but let me take her home. Someone needs to clean her up, and as her partner, well, you know."

Although he understood, he did not want to part with her. This was his love and he would do anything for her, but leave? How could he leave her? "Izuna, go get a medic. I'll take her home. It's alright."

Hisen knew what he asked of Izuna was hard. He and Anju had been best friends since babies, and now, they were partners. Not just friends, but in a courtship. He knew the man did not want to part with his beloved, especially after their recent confessions, but as her brother, it was his duty to care for her.

Reluctantly, Izuna handed her over to Hisen and they both sped off in opposite directions. Hisen arrived at her home in record time, and slid the door to her home open. It was clean as usual, with no dishes in the sink and not clutter in the main room or kitchen.

"Alright Onēsan, I'm going to clean you up. Sitting in filth is not good for your health."

And he did so with delicacy and avoiding eye, and when finished, he dressed her in a dark blue yutaka, leaving her right arm out of the sleeve for examination. Although he was not a medic, it was easy to tell that her injury was something serious. The puncture to her shoulder caused by that Senju's blade was small, about three inches, and the other was a cut and nothing more than that, but he doubted she'd be able to use her arm for some time.

Gently, he lay her down on the futon, and began taking his time cleaning the wound to the best of his ability, admiring his sisters rather high pain tolerance as he wiped the dried blood from the wound on her shoulder and the cut on her arm. The bleeding had stopped on its own accord, even as he washed the wound. It was a good sign.

Any moment the medic should be here, but it didn't seem to come soon enough. Hisen fidgeted with his hands, which he then proceeded to lay on her head. She was burning up. He looked around before he stood and went for the kitchen, where he wetted a towel with cold water and filled a bucket up with the same, as well as adding another towel.

When he returned, he ringed out one of the rags and placed her it over her forehead. His fear was overcome by his willingness to protect and save his sister. He could not do so if he was afraid and panicked.

"In here!"

He lifted his head up to see Izuna entering with Hiroshi and his father, Tajima. Behind them, and medic appeared with a bag of goods. "Out of my way! You fuss about this and then block me!" Everyone cleared out of the way for Elder Yuuna, the head of the medics. She kneeled on the floor next to Anju and inspected the injuries and took a sample from her shoulder for the poison.

"I will wrap her injuries and they are to be changed once a day to be safe. I'll leave a topical to prevent the infection and come once a day to do a treatment for her. As for the poison in her veins, we have a few antidotes we can try, but I have not seen a poison that takes out someone like this."

"Is there anything else we can do?" Hiroshi knelt down next to his youngest daughter and placed a hand on her forehead. Elder Yuuna shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. I believe she was given a slow acting poison, but with all her moving it has made it progressed faster. The puncture to her shoulder is clean and avoided any real damage, but she is not going to be able to use that arm for a few weeks."

Outside, Madara had just arrived and followed the commotion of the villagers. They had lost a few of their men, and he did not want to add Anju to that list. But as he neared, he saw men and women – some still in battle gear while others were normal citizens – sitting around the entrance to the home. Her two sisters, Eiko and Hakuoh, were among them.

Everyone gave him recognition as he walked by and went inside. Inside, it wasn't hard to find Anju. Not just because of the small place she lived in, but there were people at her door as well. He walked over and stood in the doorway, looking on at the scene in front of him. Anju lay on her bed with Izuna, Hisen, and Elder Yuuna at her side tucking the remainder of the bandages into Anju's already wrapped upper half. Her father Hiroshi, and his father Tajima also were in the room, watching on helplessly.

"What's her condition?" The medical nin looked up at Madara, intimidated, but she spoke. "She's been poisoned."

"I know that! Tell me the rest you imbecile!" Everyone in the room cringed at Madara's harshness towards the Elder, and it was obvious she was fearful of Madara, as she should be. "She has a high fever and has gone to sleep. The cut on her shoulder has further discolored and the poison is spreading throughout her body. We're working on trying to find an antidote, but…" She looked down, "but there isn't much luck. Its slow working, so as long as she stays still it won't move much. It's hard to say, but she may only have a few days left."

The group looked on at Anju, who was out for the time being. Izuna held her hand in his, and on the other side was the medical nurse. Hisen was on the floor leaning against the wall, slowly falling asleep.

"We all need to leave for the night, except for family and the medical nin. There isn't much we can do just standing around here."


	5. Chapter 5: Madness

The moon was bright on this night, illuminating quite a sweet scene within Anju's bedroom. She lay tucked under the sheets and next to her Izuna slept with his head on her stomach and was covered in a blanket oh his own. Then, her little brother Hisen, was curled up in a ball with his sister's feet resting under him to keep them warm. He too was covered with a warm blanket and had his own pillow to stay comfortable as he guarded her.

The young woman's condition had not change, and in fact, it seemed as if it had worsened over the two days she had been resting. No antidote had even come close to lessening her pain and the spreading of the poison. Elder Yuuna had given her about five days, and two were already down. She had three left, and that much was obvious by how she looked. She looked as if death had already touched her.

Her skin was ghostly pale with a sick gray tint to it, and on her once flawless skin held bruises from the poison made themselves at home. Her hair also lost its health, going from its shiny and silky nature, to a lighter shade of black that could be considered a dark gray. Her breathing matched how she looked, for it was uneven and it seemed her lungs were beginning to struggle to keep her breathing. That would also account for her pale looks. All of this Madara observed from her low window.

He sat there, his feet slightly hanging off the ground and leaned against the frame of the open window with his chin in his palm. Carefully, he watched her with his mangekyou sharingan and observed her dreams. They looked to be… memories? No, they could not be. None of what he saw… none of it made sense to him.

Being the man he was, he changed her dreams to something sweeter, something with Izuna. Even a blind man could see how much they loved each other. This was the second night he had come to watch her while Izuna and Hisen slept. Both young men refused to home or leave her side, showing their apparent and unswaying loyalty to Anju. Yet, it made Madara angry. Of course he was usually angry with anything that involved the young woman, but lately it was a different anger, one he did not recognize.

But, his eyes stayed focused on her form, for he found some sort of comfort watching over her. Comfort for what he could not fathom. It bothered him that he couldn't comprehend his own emotions, but maybe it was best that it stayed that way. He was not one to _feel_ , especially for this young woman that defied his every word and action. And still, he felt compelled to watch over her and it comforted some part of him.

Izuna stirred before him, but only to pull himself closer to his love. The corner of Madara's mouth twitched, as if he were going to smile, but it disappeared when his anger resurfaced. His brother was happy and that was Madara's goal – for Izuna to always be happy. He had failed three times before, and he refused to fail again. He would not let anything happen to his remaining little brother, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness or his own life. And he couldn't help but feel that same pull towards the sick female before him, drawn in like some jutsu had been cast over him or maybe it was her.

Quietly, he stepped into the room and walked over to her other side, careful not to wake neither his brother, Hisen, or Anju, though he knew she was too deep in sleep for such a thing. He crouched down next to her small form, which now looked smaller from her illness.

Sad eyes watched her as he remembered the promise he had once broken, and had caused all of them much pain. He let the emotions flow on his face as he reached out and stroked the clammy skin of her cheek. Even now her skin was soft despite being sick and she still looked so…

"Beautiful." The word slipped from his mouth before he could stop it, and he waited to see if she had heard him, but she had not. He cursed himself for uttering such a thing, but it was true. She was… beautiful. Even as she lay on her death bed, she was beautiful.

The hand that stroked her cheek removed the hot cloth on her forehead and placed it in the bucket of water next to her. Then, he pulled a different wet rag from the bucket and rang it out before laying it over her forehead.

He moved some of her hair behind her ear, and bent down to it, even though no one could hear him anyways. "You always seem to surprise me, Anju. I would like you to do so once again and appear to the council tomorrow. Defend your spot. Show me how much you want to be on the council."

Then, he departed from her, but paused before he left for good, feeling Izuna waking. "One day, I hope you will forgive me, Anju, and realize I never meant you any harm."

 **OoO**

They had entered day three. Three days of bandage changing, ointment rubbing, and watching Elder Yuuna's hands glow green with her limited healing power. Nothing had changed. In fact, Izuna was sure things were getting worse. Of course, he understood Elder Yuuna was not a Senju or Hagoromo – who had amazing healing powers – and only knew basics, as she could not mold her chakra beyond that, but that did not stop his frustration.

"I'll watch her, Izuna-san. It will be alright."

Even as Hisen spoke, he knew they were empty words. Elder Yuuna's healing treatment slowed the poison, but now his sister was dying even slower. What was worse? Giving her a few more days to live at the cost of more pain, or giving her less days to live and lessen her pain? He knew which he would choose, and he knew which Izuna would choose. And of course, Hisen could not bring himself to end his own sister's life, even if it meant ending her suffering.

Hope. He had hope she would be alright, that she would pull through this. Her strength, fiery temper, and amazing will to protect the clan had gotten her through so much. Though, he owed most if towards her hate for Madara, and his for hers. Did that hate fuel her now? Maybe he could get Madara in here to rile her up… or was that too much to ask?

"I'll see you when the meeting is done, Hisen." Izuna placed a hand on the young boy's head and ruffled his hair. He protested it, but Izuna had already left the room. He couldn't afford to be late for this meeting, or miss it at all. Anju's council position was at stake. He would not let them take that away from her.

He entered the hall and immediately took his seat on his father's left, and Madara was on their father's right. Both he and Madara leaned back behind their father, shielding their faces behind his back. They always did this, ever since they began attending these meetings at a young age. "I didn't think you would make it, Izuna. It's good to see you here."

Izuna held his hand out and Madara took it, holding it as they spoke. "She is my best friend and my future wife – I need to defend her when she is not able."

Madara's face remained impassive so his brother could not read him. He too wanted Anju's position to stay, but they had to face reality. She had not named someone to her spot, therefore they council had to fight over it. Tajima had the final say though, and he knew he would not give Anju's spot up easily.

As Madara went to console his brother, their father cleared his throat, alerting them that the meeting would begin and for them to end their little chat, no questions asked and no more words. The two squeezed hands, and nodded their heads. Madara gave nothing away, keeping his intentions to himself.

Tajima raised his hand and spoke. "Elder Ryoichi has called this meeting to discuss the replacement for Uchiha Anju's council seat. For those of you who do not know, Uchiha Anju was poisoned in battle three days ago and the poison is proving to be fatal." Whispers and conversations erupted through the council of twenty, as well as those who had come to observe.

"This is not some little gossip game. This is a serious matter, both for the seat and what Anju's family is going through, so shut your mouths and get with the program!" Tajima's voice boomed through the room, silencing all conversation as he looked to Elder Ryoichi. The older man nodded. "A choice needs to be made, and since Anju is unable, it is up to this council to decide. There are plenty eligible for the spot."

Madara closed his eyes, as he always did during these meetings he hated so much, especially when they were so pointless like this. "They may be eligible, but most do not have the experience needed, narrowing it down to six instead of fifteen"

The Elder narrowed his eyes at Madara's calm form. "Anju was merely eighteen years of age when she took on this position and her experience was limited. Why not give others a chance?"

It was a hard battle fought for Madara not to get up and slap the man or kill him, but he stayed quiet, and the only thing that gave away his aggravation was the clenching and clenching of his sharp jaw line. Next to him, his father felt his sons anger, but there was nothing he could do. This would be a majority vote, not a dictatorship as Tajima would have liked it.

"Those who are eligible are as follows – Uchiha Eiko, Uchiha Hakuoh, Uchiha Akane, Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Moe, Uchiha Natsuki, Uchiha Rei, Uchiha Yuki…"

The thoughts of Madara rested elsewhere as the rest of names were read off and the debate began. He did not listen to one word said as the choice was narrowed down to three candidates He couldn't care less. None of them except Eiko even came close to Anju's superiority in this council and on the battlefield, that much he could not deny for as long as he lived. And if it came down to it, he would state so in front of them all.

Then, they started voting. He heard the names of three women – Uchiha Eiko, Uchiha Hakuoh, and Uchiha Akane. Still, he remained impassive and kept to his own strange thoughts as they went around the room, until it came down to him.

"Uchiha Madara – your vote?"

It occurred to him that he could end everything right then and there. He could boot Anju off the council and that alone would be enough to discourage her and make her leave the shinobi ways. Usually that thought would be the utmost satisfying to him, but now it felt…it felt wrong. Was it Izuna's now evident love towards her? Was it because Izuna wanted to marry her? Or was it what he had been seeing in her dreams?

"Madara – what do you vote?"

The council looked away as Madara opened his eyes, revealing his crimson mangekyou sharingan. The calm, composed aura that had surrounded dispersed like a flock of birds to a predator and gradually, the anger began to radiate from him. "I am not putting in a vote."

Elder Ryoichi's eyes narrowed at the young man. "I will not have this, Madara. You will choose between them."

Madara's temper flared and he stood, the candles in the room going out as he did so. The fear in the room made a tense atmosphere that could have been cut with a knife had anyone done so. "This is outrageous! A woman is lying on her death bed and here we are deciding who will replace her! Anju is still conscious, so stop acting like she can't make a choice! Afraid that she will choose someone who can't be manipulated, Elder Ryoichi? I will not have it! It is disrespectful!"

The noticeable surprise in the room did not get by Madara, and he did not care. When his mother had died, they did not even _consider_ filling her seat for at least three weeks. Anju wasn't even dead and Elder Ryoichi was set on filling that seat. He would not have it.

"It seems the party has already started."

The candles in the room relit as the figure walked into the room, using a sheathed sword as support until they paused at an empty seat and looked at Elder Ryoichi with menacing crimson eyes. "I thought the council was supposed to wait a week _after_ someone's death to replace them? Do I look dead to you, Elder Ryoichi?"

Had Madara been in a different mood, he would have started laughing at the look on elder Ryoichi's face. Shock. Anger. Embarrassment. Leave to Anju to put Ryoichi in his place when no one else could. But, Ryoichi recovered himself and smiled at the young woman. "You look like you should be resting, Anju-san. We were just finding some candidates for you, to make it easier."

The word slipped out of Madara's mouth as snorted at Ryoichi's claim and how stupid it was. "Liar." The council turned to him at his outburst, and in turn he looked to Ryoichi, who was not pleased in the slightest. "Madara, were you asked to speak?"

His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was too riled up to just sit down, even as the council's eyes asked him too. Then, Anju's soft voice broke through. "I ask him to speak then. Show me, Madara-sama?"

A knowing look passed between them but it was not recognizable to observers. The talk that had been shared in her sleep was kept between them in a silent pledge as their eyes met. Madara looked to the empty seat next to Hiroshi, where Anju usually sat, and then back to the female as she began walking over to her assigned position. It was obvious that much was hard for her, but yet again, she had surprised him. Even at such a low point, where the next step could be her last, she came to defend her spot in the Uchiha Clan's council. It showed him how much this meant to her, not that he already didn't know, but he liked to see action rather than hear empty words.

And when she reached her seat, Madara made three shorts steps to her before she sat down. He could feel Izuna's uneasy gaze as he did so, and internally rolled his eyes at his brothers behavior, though he knew it was for good reason. "Uchiha Madara, stand down from Uchiha Anju."

Madara stopped before Anju, having to crane his neck down to look at her. "Anju-san asked for me to show her what happened. Afraid for being seen as a liar, Elder Ryoichi?" A small smile tugged at her lips as she looked up at him. It was the first time she had ever looked at him with a smile. It was a strange feeling.

Izuna's voice hit his ears, though he did not hear what he had said. His eyes began to spin as he reached out, placing his index and ring finger over her now closed eyes and his middle finger on her forehead. In seconds it was done and he pulled away. Anju's eyes opened and she bowed her head to him in a silent thank you.

He retook his position next to his father, ignoring the questioning looks the council gave him at his public display of humanity they had never seen from him, and made them wonder if Madara was ill as well. Even his father and brother looked at him questionably for his actions.

"Well, who have you decided on, Elder Ryoichi? Surely you are aware there are very few who can take such a position."

The Elder nodded and motioned to the three standing in the middle. For some time, she observed the women with a critical eye, and it was visible they were beginning to become uncomfortable. After about seven minutes, she closed her eyes and sighed. "Uchiha Akane does not have enough experience in the council and in the battlefield. She has yet to lead a major, successful mission as well and pass her tests," Akane, a lovely woman with sharp, proud features, averted her gaze and stepped away with no words.

"Uchiha Eiko is already on the council, and as far as I know she is happy with such a spot." Eiko stood and nodded. "Hai, I am Anju-san. Plus, I do not need such a promotion considering I am with child. It's too much stress." Anju's elder sister smiled and gave a small bow. "It is good to see you up, little sister."

In return, Anju smiled at her and bowed her head. The last one standing was Hakuoh – her other older sister. This was a touchy thing, and she knew she was being tested, whether all were aware or not. She had to do what was right.

"And you, Hakuoh, have not been on the battlefield in almost five years, and have not attended a council meeting in longer. You fail to wear the appropriate attire to such things," Anju motioned to the barely knee-length white and red kimono that showed too much leg and too much cleavage, "you also have the favor of the men, which is disgraceful, revolting and is why so many have voted for you to be on the council. I cannot let you taint the clan any further by being up here like some bimbo. And that is putting it nicely."

The impassive look on her face seemed to make her older sister angry, as if what Anju had said had not done that already. "You are ill and cannot make a proper decision! I am your sister! You can't say or do things like this to me!"

Anju closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. Her shoulder was in pain with the rest of her body, and she felt herself getting nauseous again. Not now. She had to keep going. She would not leave the fate of her seat in the hands of imbeciles, but she found herself unable to speak. Her eyes wandered to Izuna, who took her message. "It is why Anju is your sister that she can make such decisions, and she is right. You do not have the necessary requirements for this, nor will you ever."

Curiosity grasped Anju, as well as the intent of exposing her sister to the council. She needed to learn her place and know she couldn't get very far with just her looks alone. Anju held her hand up, silencing the room, and motioned to Hakuoh casually. "Now, Uchiha Hakuoh, what is reasoning for reconsidering this vote?"

Anju watched as a sickly sweet smile formed on Hakuoh's lips, but it only seemed to add to her sisters beauty. She was, after all, considered one of the most beautiful women in the Uchiha Clan. Healthy, silky black hair up in braids on her head, and desirable onyx eyes that held secrets. Her body held no scars or imperfections, as she had only been a battle a handful of times, if that. She looked like an angel. Unfortunately for Hakuoh, it would not save her today. "I just believe that you should not be able to decide on this matter. You are sick and your mind is clouded from this illness. You are in no condition to make such choices."

Trying to keep her temper down, Anju closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and reopened her eyes, but it was not working. "I am not sick – I have been poisoned. There is a difference, Uchiha Hakuoh."

Hakuoh smiled, but Anju could see the anger and disgust in her features. "Well, at least then the decision will be fair and quick. After all, I think it can be agreed that if you had chosen today, you would have chosen poorly."

Anju's eyes narrowed dangerously towards Hakuoh. "Watch your tongue, Uchiha Hakuoh. You do not speak to your superiors in such a manor."

The older girl sneered and folded her arms over her chest. " _You_ are _not my_ superior!"

"Uchiha Hakuoh, I would like to explain some things to you first," candle flames began going out around the council room, "You do not speak to anyone in the clan in such a matter. I would not have chosen either of my sisters, not out of jealousy or hatred, but out of the clan's best interest. Eiko would have been a choice, but she has a family to look out for and another on the way, and already holds a spot here," Eiko nodded to her sister with a smile, and made her way to grab Hakuoh before things got out of hand.

"You, Hakuoh, are nothing but a snake and a whore who has only been out on the battlefield eight times in the last three years. You have little battle experience for such a thing and no experience what so ever with the council. You don't even hold their respect." Anju looked over her short attire in disgust.

"Why you –" Anju's sharingan began to spin, causing Hakuoh to hold her tongue for the time-being. "If I were to choose anyone, it would be someone with experience in this room and someone with experience in this war. I have one choice and one choice only, and _his name_ ," Hakuoh's eyes widened as Anju implied she would have a male and not a female take her place, "is Uchiha Hisen. Have anything to say about it, Uchiha Hakuoh?"

The council erupted into an uproar at her decision, fighting over it even though there was nothing they could do about it. Anju sat back and observed the madness, not because it was amusing – which it was – but because she could not speak any further nor move. The pain in her shoulder burned like fire that spread through her entire body and her vision was fading,

"ENOUGH!" The room silenced as Tajima yelled at them, coughing as he did so. He glared at each of them as he turned to Anju, who struggled to meet his gaze. It was unwise for her to come here in her state, even for something as serious as this. She hid it well, but since attention was not on her, only a focusing eye could tell she was struggling.

"Anju-san," his eyes softened on her form as she noticeably quivered in her place, "is Hisen your choice?" If this was her choice, he would not argue it nor would he change it. Hisen was a good choice. He had experience both in the council and in the battlefield, and he also had room to grow. The council had been expecting another female, as it was supposed to be, but Anju's choice was irreversible no matter how much the council protested.

Silence overcame them. Closing an eye, Anju shakily stood, using Hisen for support. Her open eye scanned the people in the room and watched their apprehensive faces for a reaction, with some friendly while others were not. She met Tajima's eyes, and nodded. "Hai...Uchiha…Hisen…"

"Then it is decided! Uchiha Hisen," Tajima stood and held his hand out to the young boy as he held his sister, "you shall be inducted into your seat after your sisters passing. Now, both you need to get back home. That is an order, not a request."

Hisen nodded. "Hai, Tajima-sama."

As they left, Hiroshi looked to Izuna. The anguish was clearly seen on his face as he watched Anju leave. "Izuna," the young man's eyes met Hiroshi's and he smiled at him, "go to her. It will make her happy to have you by her side, _always_."

Though vague, Izuna caught his meaning and bowed deeply at Hiroshi's words. It was Hiroshi's way of giving Izuna his blessing without actually going through the all the words. "I will take care of her, Hiroshi-sama."

The older man nodded. Time was short and he did not need to give a speech to Izuna to give him a blessing or permission to be with Anju. They had known each other too long for that. Though for their first years, Hiroshi thought Anju would marry someone totally different. It was strange how things changed.

He looked over, his eyes studying Madara as his little brother left to care for the woman he loved. Hiroshi knew that look and got a feeling of nostalgia as he took notice of the anger in Madara's eyes. He knew that anger, for he once held it as well. And he sympathized with what Madara was feeling. Hopefully, it was not too late for him to reverse the damage that had been done.


	6. Chapter 6: Forgive Me

That day had gone by quickly, after Anju's appearance for council. The setting sun was barely visible under the dark clouds that loomed over, which were normal for spring, as was the light drizzle outside. Anju was aware of none of this. For the past few hours since she had gone to sleep, none were able to reach her and inform her of those departing for battle, though that didn't stop Izuna and Hisen from trying.

But, their efforts were in vain. She would not wake no matter what they did and her fever would no reduce as it previously had done. All Hisen and his family could do was watch as she slowly deteriorated into nothing. They sat around her, saying their goodbyes in silence as the smell of cinnamon filled the room. The source of the smell was contributed by a burner hanging a few feet away.

One by one, the four family members stood and left, putting their sticks out as they did so. Soon, all were gone from the room, with the smell of cinnamon hanging in the air. Eiko headed home with her little sister Hakuoh, her head hanging low as she processed that she would lose her other little sister. She had never been close with Anju, as Anju was always around Izuna and Eiko had been busy making a name for herself in the Uchiha clan, but her courtship with Kizuna stopped that. Things changed when two people entered into a courtship, no matter what.

It wasn't until an hour later, after the sun had disappeared, that Tajima arrived at Anju's home with a detachment of men. It had not been his idea to do this, but the men and their respect for the young woman. In groups of two or three, the men entered her home and went to her room to mediate around her and say their final goodbyes. Hiroshi was deeply touched by the actions they showed, and all of their own accord.

Then, the detachment came to its ends. Only a few remained, and of the few were Izuna, Madara, and Tajima. The younger brother took a deep breath and entered the room. It was a good ten minutes before he exited, and his distress was evident. Never had any of them seen someone so heartbroken, not since Hiroshi and Tajima lost their wives to war.

Although Tajima wanted to go first, for he had much to say to the young girl before they departed, he was stunned as his eldest son went forward into the room and slid the door shut behind him. He had reached out to protest, but Madara was already gone. The rest of the people in the room were in the same condition as Tajima.

The man inside knew how they felt, and knew he was making a few outside nervous. He, the one who absolutely despised this young woman, actually wanted to say goodbye. Madara didn't know why, but he did not want to be the last to visit her. Maybe it was the look in Izuna's eyes, and how much his little brother loved this young woman, or maybe, just maybe, he would miss her.

It was a thought as he folded his legs and sat down next to her. She looked no different than this morning, but her distress was obvious. Her skin was clammy with a light sheen of sweat and her breathing labored, letting all know that she was not well.

Madara had a look around the room, and it seemed for each man that had been in here, a candle was lit in her honor. It was obvious to him, in that moment, how much Anju really meant to all in the clan. The men were not suggested to do this nor forced to – they did this on their own accord. It was touching. She had greater influence than her elder sister, Eiko, which was really saying something.

Like others had before him, Madara took out an incense stick, lit it, and placed it in a hanging bowl as the it filled the room with a flowery aroma. It was not too strong, nor was it barely noticeable, but it was a very sweet smell. He closed his eyes and placed a hand over hers as he mediated, trying to form his thoughts into words, but it was difficult. He looked around the room, trying to find something to focus on. That's when he caught sight of a variety of gifts in the corner – simple yutaka's, swords, shinobi apparel, and other things he could not really identify.

"If only you could see the adoration these men and women have you, Anju. Then, maybe you would ignore my word and realize that what I say should not matter," he removed the black glove from his hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, "if only you would have realized that, Anju."

His mind relived every instance he had been cruel to her and then kind to her sisters, and what a slap in the face that must have been for her. Then, there was every instance he had showed her place with such violence that it amazed him she proceeded to defy him further. His heart skipped a beat as he relived those moments, and realized how harsh he really had been. It was too late to apologize now, much too late. And if he could, what good what it do? She would not forgive him – he wouldn't forgive him if he were her.

The cold exterior that always decorated him like a second skin began to melt. Emotions once again flowed onto his face and into his eyes, and blurred together like a storm. He lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed. Already he missed her attitude and sassy nature, and with each passing second he regretted – he, Uchiha Madara – regretted he wrong doings he had done to such a beautiful and strong young woman.

"I wish you did not have to end like this." He reopened his eyes and stared down at her soft features. He pulled her hand away from his face and stared at its limp state, yet he felt the life in her veins. It was barely detectible, and he had to press hard on her wrist to even feel a pulse. Dim, but still there.

He rubbed the delicate flesh softly under his fingers, then, he laced his fingers through hers again. It made him feel… calm. Did Izuna feel like this when he was around her? Is that why he always smiled so much in her presence? No, he knew it wasn't that. Izuna _loved_ Anju, more than anything else in the world. It was obvious. He smiled because he was in love with her and loved everything about her.

Clenching his jaw, Madara closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Why did thinking about this affect him so? He loved his brother and he just didn't want him to get hurt. When Izuna was wounded, emotionally that is, it took a while for him to return to normal. When their mother died, he was a mess for months afterwards. What would his little brother be like after Anju's passing? What would _he_ be like?

This woman made his day so interesting, with her sassy attitude and sarcastic remarks. He could always count on her to give him a reality check, to remind him not everyone bowed in his presence and thought of him as a god amongst men. How could he have not seen it sooner?

They would need to leave soon. He was taking up too much time and it would look suspicious. As his parting gift, he removed the hot, wet towel on her head and pulled out a cooler one from the bucket. He placed his hand on her forehead and bowed his head. "Forgive me."

As he placed the cold rag on her forehead, he moved to stand. He was not one to ask for forgiveness nor one to apologize, but since she was dying, he did not want there to be any loose ends between them. Whether she could hear him or not, he didn't know and he didn't care. He thought he would feel better, asking for her forgiveness, but he was wrong. He felt worse.

"It's funny, isn't it?" Madara's sharingan activated itself at the sudden voice and turned to see his father leaning against the wall behind him. "How death makes us realize how we really feel about a person?"

The cold wall Madara had built itself back up and he walked passed his father with no expression, as per usual. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Tajima sighed, and like others before him, he took a seat on the floor beside Anju, and lit himself an incense. He needed to get some things off his chest. "He wasn't always so cold. Once upon a time Madara openly expressed kindness, even to you, Anju. Though I doubt you remember such things, and neither does he."

 _"Wait!"_

 _Tajima looked back to see Anju had fallen on the ground, scraping her knee. He sighed and rubbed his head. Of course he had gotten stuck watching the kids so Momoko and Ayame could go out. And Hiroshi, who did not want to be stuck with a nine-year-old, a seven-year-old and two three-year-olds. For both fathers, another was on the way, and Momoko said 'this would be good practice.' Good practice his ass. He was at least thankful Anju's two sisters were staying at a friend's. Those two were too much._

 _Being the only girl here, he knew Anju was struggling. Her older brother ran ahead with Izuna tailing after him. He had wanted a brother, but young Aito was disappointed. He did not pay much attention to his third sister._

 _With a sigh, Tajima stopped and turned to go help the young girl, who had apparently tripped over her yukata. She stood, but fell again, and he had to conclude she probably sprained her ankle as well. But, he was beaten to it._

 _"Here, let me look." A smile spread on Tajima's face as Madara sat next to her and took a look at her ankle. "It's just a scrape, see? It will be okay in a couple days."_

 _The young Anju wiped her face and tried to stand but fell in pain as she stepped on her left foot. Before she hit the ground though, Madara caught her and smiled at her. "I got you. How about I carry you? Just get on my back."_

 _The pair caught up to Tajima, with Anju on Madara's back smiling with her older companion. "Thank you, Madara-kun!" Tajima chuckled and patted their heads. "Your brother will get over it eventually, Anju. He just needs some time with other boys. But, you are in good hands with Madara."_

 _She giggled and patted Madara's hair. "Madara-kun is a good big brother!"_

 _A broad smile spread across Madara's face as he looked back at his small companion. "I got you, Anju. Remember that."_

And then everything started to change. Tajima took Madara out with him more often and he spent less and less time at home. That's when things went south with his big-brother relationship with Anju. Then, Ayame gave birth to a son, Hisen, and Aito returned to his brotherly ways over Eiko, Hakuoh, Anju, and his newborn brother.

"Back then, I could have predicted a different outcome. That was a long time ago though, and things are always changing. Who would have known you would become such a strong, fearsome woman? And now, Izuna tells me you are deciding on agreeing to a courtship. I'm glad you chose not to rush into such a thing, even though he'll probably die of stress," he frowned, "but you will not get to answer. He was going to stay with you, but he wants to get who did this to you. I know you will be long gone before we return, and I just want you to know how much you mean to Izuna, and to Madara."

Tucking a stray piece of hair back in place, he closed his eyes. "You know Izuna adores you, but Madara needs you around as well. You may not believe me, but he is a shy person, and he will miss you, dearly. We all will, Anju. We all will."

Tajima kissed the top of her head and put out the incense sticks. "If you somehow avoid the reaper, pass that luck of yours onto me. There is a reason I have been missing meetings, Anju."

As Tajima opened the door and stepped out of her room, he found the house empty except for Madara, Izuna, Hiroshi, and a figure in white. His hood covered his face as he silently stood with a tall staff in hand. A beautiful piece of work it was. Made of wood but silver in color, and awfully dirty. A black substance covered most of the work, but splotches of silver were visible, showing off an intricate design underneath. It was flat at its bottom, but it at the top it twisted into the shape of a pine cone.

Tajima knew that staff anywhere and smiled at its owner. "Uchiha Aito has finally come for a visit." The old man approached the boy, who removed his hood, revealing his smiling face and short black hair shaved on the sides. "I'm sorry to visit under such circumstances."

With his hood removed, Tajima noticed that he looked no better than Anju at this point. Was he ill as well? With the same poison, possibly? His skin held a gray tint to it, his eyes were baggy like he had not slept in days, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. He looked terrible. "Aito, you do not look well. You should rest."

"I-"

"Aito! You got Ren!" Hisen burst through the door, a basket full of herbs in his arms and Ken perched on his shoulder. He looked as if he had been through a hurricane and back, with his hair all over the place and dirt on his clothes. He hurriedly placed his basket on the table and hugged his elder brother.

Aito chuckled and hugged him back. "Hai, I got Ren. He's outside now. Is it really as bad as you say?"

The group looked amongst each other, giving Aito the go ahead to enter Anju's room. Five minutes later, he reappeared, but only to look at the herbs Hisen had brought with him. He picked some up and played with them, inspecting them carefully. "Aito," the boy looked over at Izuna, "is there anything you can do?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Could he help? "I've spent the past five years amongst the Hagoromo Clan, observing their healing powers, which was a beauty all his own. I have picked up on a few things, but I cannot guarantee anything, understood?"

Nods of approval came his way, but he grabbed Hisen as he went to leave. "You – I need Hisen for this. You seem to have some knowledge of herbs."

Hiroshi looked at his two sons and then at the staff the Aito held on to. He had not seen that object in _years_ , and it meant nothing good. Aito's condition confirmed his thoughts, and feared for what Aito was planning to do. "Aito," the boy looked at his father, "don't do anything stupid."

"I can't make any promises."

Aito watched the group leave, and he knew his father knew what he was going to do – something stupid. Something he really shouldn't do, but there was little time to go over the pros and cons of his choice, and what consequences awaited them when he did what he would do.

"You know what to get – get it. Meet me in her room immediately."

They both got to work. Since Aito knew very few people in the Hagoromo Clan – the clan of his wife – he had taken on healing to make friends while he was there. He was no medical ninja, but he could perform a little more than basics. This though, this was another level for him.

"You're burning up. We need to get this fever down." He removed the wet rag from her head and placed his glowing green hand over her instead. Hisen came in and Aito began barking orders of how to use the herbs he had collected. "Place that over her wounds."

He removed his hand from her head, since that was not working in bringing down this fever of hers. Instead, he placed it over the wound in her shoulder where Hisen had lay his mixture. As his chakra came in contact, she flinched. Just the right spot, but it only worked for a good ten minutes. Then, things returned to its normal.

 _'Transfer your chakra, idiot.'_

Aito rolled his eyes at the voice, annoyed by it and by the fact that he had not thought of it himself in the first place. Stupid voice. Stupid… "Oh, it's working!" Aito transferred a good amount of his chakra into her body, and immediately, there were results. "Oh thank the gods! Now if they would just return with the…" He caught himself as the words were about to slip. That was close.

"What were you saying just now, Aito?" Hisen rose an eyebrow in suspicion and then grinned. "You had a vision! WOO! Go Aito!"

"Oh quiet down!" He hit his younger brother upside the head, knocking him over. _'Nice going. You're not supposed to expose future events, Aito.'_ Once again, he rolled his eyes at the second voice. Having another voice that was not his own got annoying at times, especially now.

Hisen on the other hand found it fascinating, and scary at the same time. "Does it still hurt, when you touch someone?"

The question caught Aito off guard, but he smiled at his little brother. "Not as much as before. It helps to wear gloves."

"You're going to die, aren't you?"

A tense silence hung in the air between them. Aito knew he could not lie to his little brother, and knew there was not point to anyways. "We all die eventually, it's just a matter of how and when. I have seen my death, and it is a peaceful one in my eyes. I have just enough time and strength left in me to keep Anju alive longer, and that is it. As your older brother, it is my duty to make sure you and the rest of my siblings are safe. That's exactly what I am doing."

However, what else he had in mind might do the exact opposite. Inside the Uchiha Clan walls, he was safe from harm and free to do what he needed. He closed his eyes and apologized for what he was about to do, but it was for the safety of the Uchiha Clan.

Hisen fell to the floor, knocked out cold with Aito standing above him. "I'm sorry, little brother. Please forgive me."


	7. Chapter 7: Loss and Love

"We need to fall back, Tajima-sama!"

"They have us out numbered!"

In their report, they had expected the Senju to act with an ally, however, they had not been expecting two allied clans to be joining the battle. It was too much for them to take, and they knew it was obvious they were reaching their limits.

"Madara!" Tajima called out to his son, who was battling Hashirama with only his hands, his sword broken on the ground. He did not expect him to leave the battle, but he did and joined his side. "Hai, Otōsan. What is the order?"

"Spread the word for retreat! On your signal we leave!"

The Uchiha's greatest warrior nodded and attempted to find his brother as he fought against their foes to inform him of the plans. Along the way, he informed the men he encountered of the plan, and they wasted no time in deploying smoke bombs and collecting their dead and wounded. They should have asked for assistance, but their pride had been too great and it still was.

Seeing his brother fighting off a group of his own, but having everything under control, Madara looked around at the fight before him, angered that they were losing and there was no coming back from it. He found himself wishing Anju had been here with Hisen, but there was no chance of that happening. "FALL BACK!"

Smoke bombs were thrown, giving them a chance to retreat to a safe distance. Madara joined his brother in the smoke to finish off the group of bugs bothering him, which was rather easy. Their sharingan's gave them an advantage in the haze. "Come on Izuna! We need to leave!"

The younger brother covered his mouth and nodded. "Hai – Madara! Look out!"

Both brothers jumped out of the way as a large stone came crashing towards them, and upon its impact cleared the smoke, making all visible again. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" He had never seen him before, but Madara recognized his appearance immediately.

 _"Looking for someone?"_

 _Anju looked up at Madara, who was covered in blood, though none of it his own. "He was a blonde with yellow eyes and pale skin. He's not amongst the others."_

His blood began to boil and his eyes spun. " _You_!"

He knew they were to retreat, but the one who caused Anju so much pain – who caused his brother so much pain – stood before him on a silver platter. It seemed Izuna knew what he was thinking, because he took a fighting stance as well.

Backup for the blonde came, but he held his hand up and unsheathed his sword. "I'll take them alone." The men and women who came to aid the blonde looked at him as if he were insane and had a death wish, and the Uchiha brothers agreed. Who did he think he was taking on both of them? His chakra was dangerous and made Madara uneasy, but there was nothing all that special about this blonde idiot to him. Well, sometimes there is more than meets the eye he guessed.

"Izuna, stay." The younger brother shook with rage and could not contain it. "You will pay for what you've done!" He charged at the blonde male and met his sword with his own. "Aww, did you love her? That makes it all the better."

His words only angered Izuna further. They seemed to be evenly matched in their skill, but as Izuna found out, this man was proficient in both water and earth nature jutsu's. Then, he performed something Izuna had not seen.

"What is this!? Earth nature?"

From the ground, black forms resembling people sprouted and stretched their limbs. They looked as if they were made of glass, and for that reason Izuna believed they would be easy to take out. How wrong he was.

He threw kunai at one and burnt another with his fireball, but they regenerated what parts of them they had lost and acted as if nothing had even happened. It was futile to fight these things. They were fast, regenerated body parts, and impossible for him to find a weak spot in. Then, one appeared below him and he barely had time to jump out of the way, and when he did, two more appeared behind him.

A gust of wind blew them away in the nick of time, and in the direction the attack came from stood Madara. "Don't think you get to have all the fun!" Izuna smirked, but it faded as these things kept popping up from nowhere. Then, it hit him. "Nii-san! They travel through the ground!"

At Izuna's words, Madara formed a fireball and aimed it for the ground, inflaming it and forever leaving a scar. They had to have a weakness… Madara's narrowed eyes landed on the blonde. "Do you have a plan?"

"I don't have a good answer to that."

Chuckling, Hiroshi pointed to the blonde. "The two vials around his neck – they are an antidote to his poison. The only reason he'd carry that around is if a, he's still practicing with it, or b, he's an idiot."

"I think b."

"Then we're on the same page, Madara?"

Madara did not need to be told twice. He charged for the blonde and knocked him off his feet, but he bounced back and came for Madara. "Let's play then, Uchiha Madara."

This man – this _Senju_ – was incredibly strong. His strength rivaled Madara's, as well as his speed. If it were not for the sharingan, he would not have been able to see his movements. That didn't make it any less of a challenge. Madara was focused on those vials. He needed to get ahold of them and get them to Anju. It was a must.

"Oh, looking at these?" The blonde held them arrogantly in the air off of his neck. "So, your pretty little princess is still alive? I'm honestly surprised. Most would have died a while ago. She'll be dead by the time you return, I'm afraid." In his arrogance, Hiroshi snatched the vials from his hand and darted behind Madara. Madara looked at him, surprised. "You're fast for an old man."

Despite the situation, Hiroshi laughed. "Don't let my age fool you, Madara. It is only a number."

"You insolent piece of shit!" The blonde's hair lifted around him, and a glow of black chakra surrounded him. It may have been Madara's mind playing tricks on him, but he swore to the gods that he saw the head of dragon and wings forming around this man. His chakra changed as well. Madara recognized this change.

"Izuna! Get away from him!" Madara ran for Izuna and shoved him out of the way of the blonde's attack, and blocked it the best he could with his gunbai. Only one other time had he faced a chakra like this, and he did not like the outcome of it. He jumped out of the way, landing on an outcrop of rock.

The blonde smirked. "So, you know what I am? I'm surprised the Uchiha Clan doesn't have one of its own… or does it?" Madara's eyes narrowed dangerously. _Jinchūriki_.

"Such a pity. It seems the Senju will have the upper hand from now on, and there is _nothing_ you can do about it." Another one of the blonde's beings appeared before him, but it was a distraction for the blonde to come up behind Madara with his sword drawn. He was too fast, even for Madara.

Madara was thrown against the ground, blood all over him. It had been a long time since he had been knocked off his feet like that. But as he looked at himself, he wondered whose blood was on him. He had not been hit, and neither had his opponent. But, when he looked over to the blonde, his question became answered. "Hiroshi!"

The older man stood face-to-face with the blonde shinobi, a katana pierced through his chest and another through his abdomen. Blood dripped from his mouth as he held the blades, cutting his hands in the process. "How honorable of you, to sacrifice yourself for a selfish asshole. And here I thought the Uchiha had no moral code."

Hiroshi closed an eye at the pain radiating through his upper half. "I will not let a Senju kill the leader of my clan." The blades were pulled abruptly from Hiroshi's body and sheathed back on the blondes back. He held Hiroshi by his collar with a smirk. "Watching the light leave your eyes is almost as satisfying as watching it leave _your wife's_."

As he spoke, he threw Hiroshi towards the tree line, smashing him into a tree. So caught up in his conversation though, he did not see the blade and fire coming towards him. Nor did he anticipate that black flames could not be put out with mere water nature. He coughed up blood as a kunai punctured his side and held his seared arm from the outside world.

Then, Izuna appeared before him, sending him into a tree himself. Izuna was not stupid – he knew he had to leave. He was low on chakra and injured, and quite outnumbered. It was hard, for him to turn his back on the man who killed his beloved and not finish him off. But what would Anju think if got himself killed? What about Madara? He growled low in his throat as he fled the scene with Madara, who had Hiroshi with him. He was barely hanging on.

"Stop. I…I need to speak…to you both…"

The brothers looked at each other and stopped, propping Hiroshi up against a tree. Madara palced his hands against the wound in his chest, and Izuna pressed his hands against the one in his abdomen, but the damage had been done.

"Madara! Izuna!" Tajima, along with some of the shinobi who had not sustained too serious of injuries, stood before them. The frantic father, now aware his sons were alright, now looked on at his dying friend. He kneeled next to him, his eyebrows coming together and a slight frown forming on his face. "Hiroshi."

The older man placed a hand on Tajima's shoulder. "Death seems to be quite fond of the Uchiha lately, doesn't it?" He nodded and placed his hand over Hiroshi's. "Hai, it does."

"I need…to speak with your boys…" Hiorshi's eyes wandered to Izuna, "You…you have it, don't you?"

With a smile, Izuna pulled a broken necklace from his pocket, and from it hung two vials – one blue and one red. "Of course. I left a duplicate at the scene."

He placed his other hand on Izuna's head. "Give that to her…Izuna…save her life…please…" Slowly, Izuna bowed his head in acceptance. "Hai, Hiroshi-sama."

Then, Hiroshi looked to Madara. "Remember, Madara…you are still human…and you can still die…" A weak chuckle sounded from Hiroshi after he spoke, and Madara had to smile. "You old fool. You could have still lived, yet…"

Hiroshi placed a bloodied hand on the back of Madara's neck and brought him closer, out of the earshot of those around them. "I have a…special request…of you…Madara…" his body began to go limp from blood loss, "watch over her…please watch…her…like old times…she does not yet know it…but she needs you…and you need…"

The old man did not need to finish the sentence for Madara to understand the rest of it, though he didn't understand why Hiroshi asked such a thing of him. "I am not a fool…Madara…you are so….blind when…it comes to…" He did not get to finish that sentence. "The…it…Aito…" The last of his words were gibberish as he passed on, the life slowly leaving his body until nothing more was left.

All the men around them got on one knee, bowing their heads in respect to their fallen general. Madara closed his eyes, processing what Hiroshi had asked of him. And when he had, he removed his hands from Hiroshi's wound, his hands caked in drying crimson blood. What could he possibly be blind to? There was no time to think about it now, not when they had the cure to Anju's poison.

 **OoO**

"Come on! They're late!"

For hours now Aito had paced back in forth, though now he was stuck sitting on the ground against the wall, sicker than he had been before. Mixing Anju's chakra with his own was taking its toll. Of course, he would take his back, but that also meant taking some of the poison in her system with him. He was almost depleted.

There was really nothing more that he could do except watch and wait. Watch over his sister and brother, who was fast asleep in the corner and showed no signs of waking up soon. A part of him regretted what he had done to his poor little brother, but he knew it would be useful to the Uchiha Clan in the future. If Anju had been able, he may have given this power to her, but as she was not, Hisen was also compatible and there was no time to wait for Anju to get better.

"Where are they?" He cringed as pain shot up through his sternum, making it impossible to inhale too deeply.

The Uchiha should have been back yesterday, and if they had been, it was possible he could have a couple weeks left, but this poison that was in her system, it ate away at him. Of course, he knew he didn't help his situation by giving Hisen his power. It made him weaker but it made Hisen stronger.

"Hisen. Hey, wake up baby brother. It's been four days. Get your ass up!"

The young boy stirred but he did not wake. Aito was going to go insane. Three days of sitting in here and only talking to Elder Yuuna once a day when she came to perform treatments on Anju. He was going to lose what sanity he had left. "Hisen! Wake up!"

Once again he stirred, but this time he opened his eyes, squinting in the dark as his forehead creased. "Nii-san, why am I over here? Wasn't I just over there?"

The older brother chuckled. "It's been four days, Hisen, but don't worry, all is alright."

"Anju! Is she – gah!" As he tried to stand, he fell back down in pain. His stomach burned intensely, like he had just been burned. If felt like he was still burning. To see what was really going on, he lifted his shirt, and he froze in place. His eyes followed as bright purple lines burned into his skin and then disappeared altogether, leaving only the pain they had caused as a reminder that what Hisen had seen was not fake. "Wh-what is t-this?"

"I'm sorry, little brother. Forgive me for burdening you with such a gift, but it is for the sake of the Uchiha Clan that I have given it to you. Please, understand that much."

The young man shook with fear, not quite understanding what was going on or why. The more he thought to himself, the more his head ached. "Aito! Stop it!" Aito cringed at his little brothers pleas, but there was nothing he could do to help him. Hisen was on his own until Tajima returned and could give him proper training. That was, after all, why Aito had gone to the Hagoromo in the first place, but things did not work out the way he had hoped.

"It will be alright Hisen. Just let it happen. Let it speak."

There was nothing to be done as his brother quaked and held his head between his knees. Then, it spoke. A deep, wise and calming voice sounded in his head that no one but he could hear. Aito only knew it had spoken when Hisen stopped shaking and calmed down.

 _'Now listen to me, youngling. Close your eyes and return to sleep. We shall talk more in your sleep, and when you wake, all will be well.'_ As the voice spoke, Hisen began drifting off into sleep, entering into a state of strange dreams.

Aito watched from his part of the room and smiled. "Oh the things you will be able to do, Hisen. You will be able to do what I could not." He found himself slowly closing his eyes, though he tried his best to keep them open. He was so exhausted from the events of the past four days that it was finally consuming him.

His smile faded. "Hmm…they're late."

 **OoO**

Were they too late? Would she already be dead? Those thoughts plagued Izuna's mind as he raced to her home with his father while Madara took note of the casualties. He could not bear to lose her. He loved her so much, and he never got to tell her how much. "Anju, please be okay." He sent a silent prayer to the gods, willing there to still be time left.

There was no knocking or seeing if anyone was home. They opened the door to her home, but were shocked with what they found. Blood was on the walls in strange symbols, along with words that could not be made out due to the flow of blood down the walls. Izuna's worst fears came over him. What if someone had snuck into the clan and murdered her? His eyes widened, and he rushed into her room. But, she remained unscaved.

In the corner was Hisen, who too was left unharmed. But, in front of him lay a dead figure cloaked in black. Blood surrounded them. It was maybe a few hours old. "It took you long enough."

His head snapped in the direction of the voice. It was Aito, seated next to Anju as she slept. He held a bandaged and bleeding hand over his thigh, which was stuck with a kunai. He knelt next to him. "What happened?"

Aito looked away from him towards Tajima. "Just give her the antidote. They may still be time."

"How did you-"

"Izuna, just give it to her. There's time for questions later."

He understood perfectly fine and did not need to be told twice. The pulse was still there, but weak and fading. He moved behind her and placed her head in his lap, and removed the corks from the vials. "Please…please work."

With the corks removed, he opened her mouth and poured in the two liquids. He held two fingers against her throat, waiting for her pulse to pick it up.

Tajima watched is son, feeling sorry for him. Then, Aito grabbed the front of his shirt, forcing him to look at the young man. "They were after _it_. _It's_ safe now." He followed Aito's gaze to a sleeping Hisen, and he could see visible burn marks on the boy's neck. "The blood and symbols was done by you, then?"

"Hai. It had to be done. I was dying, and there is another like _it_ out there. I had to protect the clan."

"I understand, Aito. We encountered the other today. He killed Hiroshi."

A sad smile dame upon Aito's lips. "Hmm. Better get working on Hisen then. You're going to need every ounce of Kouzai's power if you want to defeat the Senju, once and for all, but," he closed his eyes, knowing that he was finally safe to sleep, "remember – everything has a price, Tajima. Love, hate, and the power Kouzai possess. It all has a price and it all has consequences. Watch yourself."

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Twenty minutes.

It was agonizing. Izuna sat there, with her head in his lap, gently stroking her face as he waited for something to happen. He placed his forehead against hers. "Come back to me. Come back to me, Anju. Please. I need you."

Then, it hit twenty-five minutes. Had what they taken for an antidote been nothing but a false hope? Izuna's hope began to dwindle. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, then an extreme anxiety that he had nothing to compare to. Then it all hit him. His heart lurched and his chest tightened painfully. It felt like a kunai had gone through his chest, but worse. He had been stabbed a few times, and none compared to the pain he felt in his chest.

"Please…" He closed his eyes, a tear falling onto her face. Thirty minutes it had been and nothing changed. His body quivered as he tried to keep himself together. He was too late. He had failed in being her keeper. He had failed in being her friend, companion, and her partner. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Anju."

Tajima stood in the entrance to the room, watching as his son's heart slowly tore itself into pieces. He knew what it felt like, to have one's heart ripped from one's chest. When he had found Momoko laying on the ground that night, with Izuna over her, no pain could compare to the pain he felt in that moment. He closed his eyes and left the room, letting his son mourn in peace.

"Anju, please come back. I miss you."

Over the next ten minutes, he felt it. He felt the extreme heat her body had taken on begin to fade and become cooler. Under his fingers, her pulse began to pick up, and her breathing became more clear. He stared down at her, tears forming in his eyes. "Otōsan! Otōsan, come here!"

At his sons high-pitched joyful plea, Tajima was in the room in matter of seconds kneeling next to his love's body. He felt her head and her pulse, just to make sure it wasn't just his sons imagination. He smiled. "Either that antidote took a while to effect the poison in her body, or she felt like being an asshole and scaring the living daylights out of us."

The tightness in his chest faded and became replaced with an overwhelming warmth that spread throughout his body. She would be alright. She was going to live. Everything was going to be okay.


	8. Chapter 8: Death

**Well, here is another lengthy chapter. With this semester done now, I am able to write again. There has been updates done to the other chapters as well, but I didn't have time 'till now to finish Chapter 10. It will also be going under revision as I write 11 and 12, as it is late and I am tired, so expect some changes, though I am not sure if they will be minor or large.**

 **Also, thank you very much Photography Bird! Very, very much! I'm not sure if I thanked you when I updated Chapter 9, but in case I'm doing it now! I need to to start thanking reviewers like this more often, and that shall start now.**

 **So, sorry for such a long wait, but here's Chapter 10!**

 **Note from 2/6/16 - I shortened this chapter, because, when I rewrote it, it was around 6000+ words, and I found that a little cruel, so I shortened it by 1000. So, new surprises I had will just have to wait.**

 **OoO**

There was not one person who wasn't dressed in all black. Today was a day of mourning for all the Uchiha. The entire clan, whether it be infants, children, or adults, were cloaked from head to toe in black. They all stood in front of their burial grounds, in front of Tajima and the five clan elders – Yuuna, Ryoichi, Ichiro, Kiyoshi, and Masuyo.

It was not often the Uchiha had such a large burial, but they had suffered heavy losses. So many families stood in front of them, children crying from losing a brother, sister, father, mother, uncle or aunt. Women tried their best to hold themselves together, some doing better than most. The men seemed unfazed by the deaths, but it was a smoke screen for the loss they felt inside. Death was an everyday occurrence in the Uchiha, but the pain it brought still hurt, and that could not be changed.

Tajima stood in the middle of the Elders as they spoke and named off everyone who had passed. He knew each of these people, both deceased and the living. When a name was called, he would watch as certain individuals held onto each other and let out silent tears, letting him know who belonged to which family. And when the names were finished being called out, they looked to Tajima for his words. This was never easy. He closed his eyes, flashes of Hiroshi, his wife, and his deceased children moving through his head.

He made himself vulnerable in front of his clan, something he did not do often. To them, he was to be strong and invincible, but in their time of need, he knew better than to let his ego get in the way of being there for his clan. They needed to know he knew what they were feeling. They needed to know their leader was here for them in their time of need, and that was something he didn't mind doing.

"Those we have lost, both in past battles and in recent, will never go away. Every day, they walk beside us, watching over us soundlessly, unseen, but always close by, still fulfilling their duties as shinobi by protecting their clan. They are still loved and missed dearly but never forgotten. Death leaves pain and creates a void in our hearts – in our souls – that nothing and no one can heal. The love we have for those deceased leaves memories that no one can steal, and that is what you must hold onto through your time of mourning and for the rest of your lives."

His clansmen and women all looked to him, and it was a look that warmed him mind, body, and soul. It let him know how much these people – his people – respected him not only as their leader, but as a human being capable of sympathizing with those who have lost as much as he. Nothing could beat such a feeling. With the usual over, the families were free to go to the graves of the ones they loved and mourn.

Tajima joined up with Madara, who had joined Hakuoh, Eiko, Hisen, and Kizuna, who carried his young daughter with him. They were identical in what they wore – plain black yukata's with black obi's and shoes. He bowed to Hisen as well as Kizuna, but hugged the two girls before him. "I am so sorry."

Hiroshi's eldest daughter, Eiko, smiled at him. "It is as you said, Tajima-sama – they will never be forgotten and will forever be in our hearts. My question is, how are you?"

"I will be alright, Eiko, with time."

With the greetings over, Tajima fell behind them to walk beside Madara, who was silent and cold as ever, but Tajima had been in his son's life since his birth, and could see the cloud of sadness that hung in Madara's eyes. It was not as great as the despair written on the face of others, but it was there. After all, Hiroshi had been in Madara's life since he had been born and was like an uncle to the boy.

"Has Izuna said anything on Anju's condition?" The silence between the two was broken by Madara. He took a sideways glance at his father. Tajima did the same, but was rather caught off-guard by his son's question. Madara wanted to know Anju's condition? How odd. "She looks better. Her skin has returned to normal and he moved her into Hiroshi's home now that she is in better health. But, she has not woken."

Madara nodded. "I'd say that would be strange, but given the condition he gave her the antidote, I'm not surprised she has not woken in two days," he closed his eyes momentarily and reopened them, "and Aito? How is he?"

For a moment, Tajima was going to ask him why he had not gone to see for himself, but then remembered Madara had been tending to the dead. Since they had returned, he had been writing down the names of those who were deceased, delivering the news to their loved ones, and taking notes of those who were injured. "There is nothing we can do for him and he will not let us do anything for him. He's ready to die, he says, and has given us clear instructions on how to train Hisen to harness his new power."

"Otōsan, is Hisen a jinchūriki?"

Their onyx eyes met, and Madara could see the answer to his question in them. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

"Then why did we send Aito away? That power could have been used!" Madara's eyes blazed as he sneered at his father. "The power originally belonged to the Hagoromo Clan, but we took it and sealed it inside of a woman. When she passed, Aito took it on and the Hagoromo believed it was dead. He only went there, not just to be with his family, but to learn what he could about it. All of that has led to this."

"He was a pawn."

"It was his idea, Madara. He was gone before we could stop him."

Although his eyes still burned, Tajima knew his son understood. They had the power now and that was what mattered.

"I want to train with him. I want to see it for myself."

Tajima understood his curiosity. He too was curious to see what this thing now inside Hisen was capable of. When Aito had fought with it, it had only been at a quarter power. Now, they had the chance to bring to full power. Oh the things they could do.

The talk of their new jinchūriki ceased as they came to Hiroshi's freshly filled grave. He had been buried next to his wife, and on his other side lay an open grave waiting to be filled. That was for Aito.

As he stared down at the gray stone holding Hiroshi's name as well as his rank, so many happy memories filled his mind. The most prominent, however, was one of his oldest – when he and Hiroshi had first met their future wives.

 _It had been a long and tiring month for the two young Uhiha men. At the beginning of this month they had been sent out with a large group to on the of the Uchiha's hideouts, and there they had stayed and fought with no back up. They had fought the Senju and their allies the entire time, and to say it was tiring was an understatement. It was nice for them to finally relax and be off-duty for the day. Tomorrow they may be as well, but anything was possible._

 _The two of them had made a hike up to a hot spring they frequently visited, and stripped. Their bodies were littered with scars and fresh wounds, some dressed and some not, and still sweaty and covered in dirt. First went in the one with short black hair, and the other with longer hair followed. They sighed as they sunk into the warmth of the hot spring, all of their worries washing away. They sat on opposite sides, silently agreeing that sitting next to each other or even close to each other was entirely wrong._

 _For a while it was silent, but it was broken by the boy with shorter hair. "I could sit here all day, Hiroshi. Too bad we can't do this tomorrow as well."_

 _Hiroshi opened his eyes and looked at his friend as he moved some of his hair out of his face. "Who says we can't? I know it is bad to abandon our duties, but we've done so much not just this month but this whole year. We deserve a two or three v-kay, Tajima."_

 _Tajima couldn't agree more with his friend. But, he had responsibilities and he usually dragged Hiroshi with him to do them. He was not the leaders son, but his father was the leaders right-hand, which meant Tajima was held to some standards – standards he made Hiroshi live up to as well. It was a 'you suffer with me' friendship. Neither would have it any other way though. "I'll see if my father can pull some strings. We work harder than he and the clan's leader anyways. While they sit on their asses and come up with war plans, we do the actual fighting for them," he dunked his head under the water for a moment and then resurfaced, and ran his hand through his hair, "if I were ever to become leader of this clan, I would go fight with my clan every chance I got, not sit on the sidelines and fight once a year. It's bullshit."_

 _It was one of the many things they agreed on. If either of them were to become leader – which was very likely given the current leaders children were imbeciles – they agreed things would change. They would go fight with their clan like a clan leader should, and participate in their everyday activities. Not sit up inside all day discussing what a terrible situation the clan was in. That day could not come soon enough for the two boys._

 _The rest of their lazy day was spent in the hot spring, with the conversation constantly flowing, from battle to women to little things like food. They argued some, which ended in an awkward wrestling match each time. It was about six in the afternoon when they decided to leave. Their bodies were definitely overheated, and they knew their fathers would be looking for them. They preferred to keep this spot a secret._

 _Hiroshi was out first, with Tajima following a few moments later. They both dressed in their normal attire – high-collared dark blue shirts that were much longer in the back, almost dragging on the ground, and black ninja pants with black sandals. "I'm going to take a piss." Tajima waved his hand to Hiroshi and went over to some bushes. Hiroshi rolled his eyes and preoccupied himself with a hawk in a nearby tree. It was looking directly at him and him at it. When it tilted its head, he tilted his._

 _Then, out of nowhere, Hiroshi was doused in freezing cold water. He gasped as the cold water hit his skin and tensely stood in place. He was furious, and he knew the culprit. Tajima stood behind him laughing his ass off. He was laying on the ground holding his stomach due to his laughter being so great._

 _"You have three seconds to run." Tajima stopped laughing as Hiroshi turned towards him, and made a run for it. Hiroshi was literally steaming with anger. The two ran down to the clan's village, with Hiroshi closely behind Tajima._

 _"I'm going to kill you Tajima!" The two boys, ran through the roads of the Uchiha Clan, dodging their fellow clan members and buildings in a race. Both were drenched in water, with one freezing and the other quite warm._

 _Tajima carefully dodged a woman carrying a crate, only for him to trip over something and land on his face. He sat up and rubbed his face, only to be picked up at the collar by Hiroshi, who was fuming. "You see my foot? I'm going to shove it so far up your ass, Tajima!"_

 _"Hey now Hiroshi! It was just a little prank!" Tajima rubbed the back of his head and smiled apologetically. That however did not change the rage in Hiroshi's eyes._

 _"Why you-" He was cut off by being knocked in the head with something, and a second later Tajima was hit as well. They looked to the culprit and saw two young women standing before them in long red and black matching kimonos. "Watch your place! How dare-"_

 _Tajima was shut up with a sharp slap to the face from the taller of the two, who had had a blue tint to her hair and a motherly face. "How dare you! How dare you run around here like you own the place causing a ruckus and knocking people over! Walk around like normal, civilized men and not like cows!"_

 _Hiroshi came to Tajima's rescue and pointed a finger the opposing women. "Don't speak to Mako's in such a-" The other women, who was shorter with long black hair braided to the side, slapped Hiroshi across the face, shutting him up immediately. Both men stood there, holding their cheeks in shock and awe. Both women stared the men down with red sharingans – with the shorter of the two having one tomoe and the taller one having two. With a flip of their hair, they were gone._

 _Tajima watched after them, his eyes set on a certain woman with blue tinted hair, and Hiroshi's eyes set on the other. The pair looked at each other, their previous anger towards each other gone, and spoke at the same exact time. "I want one." They laughed, and with a smile watched the two women until they were out of sight._

Ever since that moment, they had spent almost every hour of the day trying to get those women to pay them some sort of attention. When being kind did not work, they turned into assholes, and when that didn't work, they turned to gift giving. _Three years_ they had fawned after those women, and it was not until their near deaths in battle trying to save each other, that Momoko and Ayame finally agreed to a date. That double date turned into another, and that date turned into a courtship. And when that went on for the next few months, they got married at a double wedding.

Tajima and Hiroshi shared everything together, except for birthdays. He remembered the race they had, to see who would have a child first. At first Tajima seemed to be the winner, but that quickly changed and he and his wife waited two more years before they had Madara. Hiroshi beat him in the child department, technically. Everything was a competition with them, literally _everything_.

Before his eyes, each of Hiroshi's children lay a white rose on their father's grave, courtesy of the greenhouse run by Ayaka Uchiha. As they each lay a rose, they got down on one knee, placed their hand on the tombstone, and said their goodbyes.

Out of all of them, Hakuoh was in the worst condition. She looked like a lifeless doll with no reason to live. Maybe this would snap her out of her whorish ways and she would return to the battlefield. He did not care what she did as long as she stopped laying with every man that breathed in this clan.

He watched on as one after another, they said their goodbyes. Even those from other families came to say their farewells to the man. It was touching, and it seemed to great effects on Hisen, Eiko, and Kizuna. People came to them, bowing and enveloping them in hugs. The Uchiha were a family, and they sure treated each other as such. Even in death, they showed their love. But, there was always the exception.

Tajima looked at Madara, who remained unfazed by the acts. What did he think underneath this layer of coldness? What did he feel underneath his cold exterior? Did he feel anything? He did, and Tajima knew he did by the actions he made when he spoke to Anju in her room before they departed. His son, sensing his father's gaze, looked to him. "It seems you are really good at giving speeches."

"And when you are leader, you will be as well." The boy narrowed his eyes, and he knew just how uncomfortable he made Madara, which was quite amusing to him. Madara was next to go to Hiroshi's grave.

He knelt down and placed a hand on the cold gray stone. "Hiroshi…I…I can't fulfill what you have asked of me. I know it dishonorable to deny the dying request of a man, but I cannot watch over Anju. I do not understand what you mean by 'like old times' nor do I understand why you asked such a thing of me when you know how Anju and I feel about each other. I will transfer this request to Izuna. I'm sorry, Hiroshi-sama. May you rest in peace."

With grace, he stood and bowed to the stone. He did feel some guilt – some – in not taking on Hiroshi's request of him, but he would not do it. It would only end in disaster.

He rejoined his father and nodded to him. "I'll be heading home now, and you should as well. You'll get sicker in this weather."

Madara referred to the dark clouds over head that threatened to release a torrent of rain at any moment. A cold wind blew over them, signaling that there would in fact be a storm. The two could feel it in their bones. With a nod, Tajima followed Madara, but paused, comprehending what he was seeing. To his astonishment, Izuna had left the confinements of Hiroshi's home dressed in black from head to toe, and with him he carried the dead man's sword.

With wide eyes, Tajima greeted his second son. "Izuna, you left her?"

A shy smile grace Izuna's lips despite his obviously exhausted state. "I see no harm in coming to say goodbyes for the both of us, for now. She is now stable and should wake soon, so I will be quick. I had to come say goodbye."

He nodded, understanding the somber look on Izuna's tired face. "We will be home. Stop by when you get a chance." Izuna approached his father, and surprised him by giving him a quick, tight hug, and whispering, "I'm sorry, Otōsan. I wish I could have done something." And as quickly as Izuna's affection came, he was released and the young man took his time walking to Hiroshi's grave. Tajima watched him silently and smiled. "Let's go home, Madara."

 **OoO**

She bolted upright, gripping the sheets of her futon so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her eyes darted around the room, which was not hers. What had she just seen? What was going on? She quivered until her eyes landed on a form sleeping next to her.

"Izuna." Tears pricked her eyes as she realized he was alive, sleeping peacefully beside her and it was clear that he had not heard her scream, if she screamed at all. A shaky hand clutched her chest, feeling her erratic heartbeat. It was all just a dream. All just a dream. A dream she could not remember yet in disturbed her so.

Her eyes remained fixated on Izuna. She wanted to curl up right next to Izuna and hold him for the rest of her life, but she restrained herself. He looked so peaceful when he slept.

A flare up of chakra then caught her attention. She recognized it anywhere. It belonged to Aito. So badly she wanted to go see her brother, but her body was so weak. Moving her arms and hands was draining her energy and tiring her. She needed to see him. She could feel that he was ill and the spikes in his chakra told her he was in pain. What was she going to do?

After an internal battle, she looked over at Izuna and placed her hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. "Izuna, please wake up!" After a moment, he stirred, batting her hand away from his body. She didn't have the strength to punch him or she would. She had forgotten what a deep sleeper he was, and he was not a morning person.

Could she speak to him in the morning? Something called to her, silently willing her to go see her brother, as if it were an urgent request. She couldn't ignore it, for when she tried to lay back down, she found it impossible to rest as anxiety over came her and was so severe she began to feel lightheaded until she sat up again and removed the covers from her body.

A hiss of pain left her lips as she attempted to move her right arm, but she found it bandaged, along with most of her upper body. She held that injured arm against her stomach, and using the wall as her support, shakily stood on her weak legs. She made it to the opened door in the room, but by then, she was out of breath and her body begged her to rest. Still, something willed her to get to wherever Aito rested, and despite the burning in her lungs, she left the room and entered into a hallway with four other rooms. One way led outside and the other led into another part of them home. She recognized it her father's home. It had been awhile since she had been here, especially down to the bedroom area she had once shared with her siblings. If she was right, he would be in his old room.

Thankfully, that was not a very long walk, but sliding his door open took more effort. Her gaze fell upon his sleeping form lit by a group of candles throughout the room. How was that in any way safe? Did he want to burn the place down? She wanted to put them out, but her legs could no longer support her and she collapsed next to her brother. He looked terrible. Is this what she had looked like?

She placed her hand on his forehead – he didn't have a fever, but he was cold. Really cold. The only indication that he was alive were the onyx orbs staring back at her in pain. "You woke up. And you got here on your own? I'm impressed."

With a smile, she gently rubbed his head. "Something called me here. I had to come see you."

Her brother looked to the corner of the room, where a staff around her height lay in peace. She felt it then – the power that had nagged her to come here – radiating from the object, and as suddenly as it was there, it was gone. "That is yours. I'm leaving it to you."

She was no fool, even after being out for who knows how long. She knew when someone was going to die, and this was it for her elder brother. Her heart tugged at her chest and her stomach dropped. She would live and he would die. "Aito, I know you, and I know there is a reason for this. What did you do?"

He smiled. "I saved your life, well partly. Izuna gave you the antidote they found, and the rest…" He closed his eyes and looked away. "The rest was to give Hisen what rightfully belongs to the Uchiha. Tajima will fill you in on that, but right now, I want to talk to you, in my final hours. It's been awhile."

And so she fulfilled his request. They talked about how their lives had been over the past six months and how much had changed. Then, he stunned her, but telling her Kami, his wife, had betrayed him and had tried to kill him. She sat and listened to his story, not quite believing what he was saying, but she knew her brother was no liar. That pain on his face sold her.

"I didn't have a choice – she tried to kill the kids. She went mad. I took care of her, grabbed the kids, and fled. I didn't get far before others from the clan tried to stop me. Iku and Jun…" She did not need to make him continue. "Aito, what is this about?"

He looked at the staff for a while before he looked at her again. "An ancient power that has been with the Hagoromo Clan for years, but was given to an Uchiha to symbolize our alliance. When that woman died, I took the power, and they thought it had died. Once they found out I contained it, they killed all who knew and I fled here. Hisen had sent me Ren a few days prior, so I knew I was expected."

"Aito-" he closed his eyes. "Please, I don't want to talk about this power. I've talked about it for days with Hisen, Madara, Izuna, and Tajima. I will not talk about it anymore."

What about their father? "Nii-san, what about Otōsan?"

When he did not answer her, she lowered her head. "He's gone, Anju. I'm sorry."

She did not answer him for a while, as she was overcome with sadness. Aito gave her some time to come to terms with the news before he spoke again. "I do not want my last moments to be sad. Izuna tells me he asked you to court him?"

"Hai. I haven't answered him yet."

"Anju," he gripped her chin and made her look at him, "why do you hesitate? You have loved Izuna for as long as I can remember. Do not be scared of change or of love. The Uchiha clan is built on family, trust, loyalty, respect, and love. Do not be afraid."

"It's not that I'm afraid, nii-san," she held his hand in hers, "it's that I fear I may hurt him. We are good as friends and I do love him, and I do have romantic feelings for him, but there is this nagging in the back of my head that tells me I'm going to hurt him."

"Oh little sister. The only way you are hurting him is by making him wait." Aito yawned and closed his eyes. He was getting quite tired, but there was one last thing he wanted to discuss with his sister – his dying request. "I have already left you my staff, but I will also leave you my eyes. I request that you hide them with Ren and Ken, or, if you so wish, with the staff. I do not want them going to waste."

Despite her sadness, she smiled. "If you had had a vision in which I would need them, I know you would not ask. I will keep them safe, nii-san."

He smiled, but that was not all he wanted. "I have one last request of you, and this is my dying request that you must fulfill before you die." The way he said it made her nervous. She would not like this request.

"What do you know about the night Okāsan and Momoko-san were killed?"

"Senju infiltrated the Uchiha, there was a fight, and they were killed."

"Now tell me, little sister, why do you blame Madara and not all three of us? Do not tell me it is because of the promise he made you. Give me a good reason why you hate him for it."

But, she could not, besides for the promise he had made. "I…I can't."

"Anju, do you know how hard he tried to protect both of them? You were not there – he held Momoko while she died. That blood on him was no Senju's – it was his mother's. And then you yelled at him."

 _Anju could not believe what she had heard. She stood there in Izuna's garden on the bridge, tears streaming down her face. Her mother was dead. Izuna's mother was dead. Kill by Senju scum while out for their walk with Izuna and Madara. Madara was the one who had just delivered the news with a depression she had never seen._

 _"Anju, I-"_

 _"You promised me."_

 _"I know. I'm sorry. I-"_

 _She spun around and faced him, her sharingan spinning. "You promised me you would protect her! You lied to me, Madara! You broke your promise!"_

 _Madara hung his head in shame, but she did not care. He had promised to keep her mother safe, and he had failed. He was a liar. She could not trust him. "Because of you, my mother is dead!"_

 _Then, Izuna came behind her and wrapped her in his arms, whispering sweet things to her. She glanced at Madara, and saw him with his eyes closed in pain. Her gaze left him and instead she buried her face in Izuna's shoulder to cry. She blamed Madara and she blamed herself. Her mother was gone, and she was not coming back._

His face haunted her. The agony and suffering he had felt in that moment hurt her, but she had never looked back on that day until now. Why did she blame him above all others? She could not find an answer to that question.

"Listen to me, Anju. If you do not make peace with your past, it will keep showing up in the present and in your future. Sometimes you need to learn to forgive even when they are not worthy of forgiving. I know how cruel he has been to you in particular, but you need to let go of the hate you have for him and forgive him for what he has and has not done. Once you do, you will be able to say yes to Izuna. If not, it will only harm you and your life, and your life with Izuna. Trust me."

But how could she? How could she forgive the man who had caused her so much pain and humiliation? He would only continue to do those things. She knew it was her choice, but it was one of Aito's wishes. It was not spoken of further, and he dropped it all together, for the most part. Eventually, she found herself dozing of next to him and her thoughts clouded. Forgive Madara? When hell froze over.


	9. Chapter 9: New Leadership

The joy on his face could be seen for miles. Anju was awake and she was okay. Oh how scared he had been when he awoke this morning and she wasn't in her bed. Those seconds of panic had been the most stressful thing, next to watching Anju die and the death of his mother. It had faded once he felt her chakra in Aito's room.

Now, they were once again separated. Izuna waited outside her room as Elder Yuuna and her assistant evaluated Anju's condition, both mentally and physically. It was agonizing, for both of them. Izuan because he had to wait for the verdict, and Anju because she had to deal with Elder Yuuna touching her and checking vitals, and then writing it all down.

It was not until the end of the evaluation that Elder Yuuna exited the room, a grim look on her face. Her assistant followed with the same look, but left the household while Elder Yuuna stayed behind to talk with Izuna at the end of the hall.

"How is she?"

"Emotionally unstable and physically unable to perform the simplest jutsu's. Her body just won't let her – it's not ready, and I have to wonder if it ever will be."

Izuna's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Elder Yuuna sighed. How was she to explain this? She couldn't explain it. In all her sixty years, she had never seen a poison do this kind of damage. Ever. "I've never seen anything like it. The antidote rid the poison from her body, but it's already done its damage. Her lungs will scar and she cannot do simple things like walking without wanting to faint. Her blood pressure is high, and her temperature still isn't normal but it won't kill her," she looked Izuna in the eyes, "but her body as a whole has suffered terrible effects, and I have to wonder if this was jutsu and not a poison. With time it is possible she will recover, but there is also a chance she will not. Something is wrong with her chakra and chakra network, and until I can figure out what, she is not to train and is to be accompanied by you always."

Izuna was shocked. It was really that bad? A little but of poison had caused all this damage? He looked to Anju's room, and felt her suffering. As much as he wanted to help her, he did not want to lose her. He couldn't lose her. "Hai, I'll watch her Yuuna-san. I'll try to keep her out of trouble."

She nodded. "Do so lightly. She is very upset, and if she is upset any more than she already is, well, you can use your imagination there. I am going to see if I can find anything to help me with her case and test these samples. Until then, I know you will keep a good eye on her."

What was he to do? What was he to say? If Elder Yuuna thought that Anju would listen to him, she was mistaken. She was a strong willed and fiery young woman, or she once was at least. Now, that fire seemed to have faded when he walked into the room. She was dull, lifeless, like a doll. The only notion given to him that she was alive was the steady fall of her shoulders as she breathed.

He observed her for a moment, watching her as she watched the storm raging outside from the window. It made him smile on the inside, but sick all the same. During storms like this, the two of them usually would have gone out, trained, and help Anju harness her lightning nature. Now, the thought made his insides hurt. She may never fight again. She may never again feel the adrenaline and joy of going into battle.

Not one word was said as Izuna stood there, observing her from the doorway. What could he say to her? Words did not seem appropriate for this, and so, he approached her with silent footsteps and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face into her freshly washed hair as he did so. His love, his best friend, his partner in crime, his partner on the battlefield, and his hopefully bride to be. He could feel her suffering as the news set in.

"You're suffering is my suffering, Anju. Please, let it out." He felt that she wanted to cry, but she did not. "Anju, for once, please. It's not healthy to hold all of this inside." She stayed silent. The only indication he had that she was listening to him was the hand that reached up and held his.

"What…what am I going to do? I've been reduced to a mere housewife…"

Is that what she thought? Immediately, he straightened himself and looked at their reflection in the mirror. "What makes you think anything has changed?"

"Look at me," she turned around so she faced him, "I am weak, I am petty. I may never fight again. If I cannot fight, I will have to be a housewife or work in the fields or train children, or, or…"

At her words, he smiled at her, which only seemed to infuriate her. "Why are you smiling? What's so funny?"

Her anger only made his smile broaden. "That is what you see. What I see is the same woman from before who is hurting and lost and in need of a friend. I see a strong woman who is coming to terms with the aftermath of her condition and the loss of two family members. I still see the beautiful woman from before," he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "and do you really think I'd let you be reduced to a mere housewife that gets pushed around? Who do you think I am?"

Finally, a smile. A genuine, sweet smile for his words. That's exactly what he had been hoping and wanting for. "There she is. There's Anju. Come here." He wrapped her up in his arms and gently swayed back and forth. "We need to take this one day at a time, one step at a time. I know you want me to train you immediately, but you have to know that I almost lost you, and I will not risk doing that again. I love you, and I will not lose you."

"I never said hai, you know."

He held her at arm's length, a gentle look in his eyes. "And you can take your time. You need to devote time to yourself right now and come to terms with what has happened. I'll just be by your side as you do so."

In spite of her anger and sorrow, a sudden warmth filled her chest and radiated throughout her body, over powering the grief she felt for the loss of her father and her brother and the anger she held towards no longer being a shinobi. Tears of joy pricked her eyes but they did not fall. Instead, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly. "And this is why I love you. Please, do not leave my side."

He whispered in her ear, "I don't plan on leaving you. _Ever_." Izuna caressed her nose with his own, and tilted his head slightly. He brushed his lips against her chin, a smile on his face.

"Ah-hem."

Izuna pulled away from Anju, snapping his head in the direction of the doorway, where Madara stood as menacing as ever. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the sarcasm dripped from Madara's voice as he spoke, "but Otōsan wishes to speak with us on an urgent matter."

As he nodded to his brother, he looked down at Anju and kissed the top of her head. "I don't plan on leaving you, _after_ I speak with my Otōsan. Don't do anything stupid, alright?"

The little woman nodded hesitantly and held his hand until he was out of arms reach. He gave her one last look before he left with his brother, one that promised all would be alright. And she believed him.

But when he was gone, that warmth that had filled her heart faded until it was once again wrecked with grief from her losses. Her entire life revolved around her father and family and her spot as a shinobi on the Uchiha's council. Without that, who was she? What was she? Her life as a shinobi _made_ her. With that gone, what was she going to do? Izuna said he would not let her become a housewife, and she believed him, but she remained uncertain.

A sound in the corner made her spin around, causing her to become dizzy. The staff Aito had left in her possession had fallen for no apparent reason, and like last night, it drew her in. The moment she placed her hands around the object, her hands and arms began tingling and vibrating in a ticklish and uncomfortable way. She dropped it instantly and watched it roll to the end of her futon.

Why would Aito leave her such a strange and powerful object? And such a dirty one… With a curious eye, she moved around the room and sat on her futon near the object and observed it. It kept her mind off of recent events and news, with its strange design, power, and surprising filth.

"What is this stuff?" She touched the black substance and found it to be slimy, but it left no marks on her skin. It held no smell, barely any texture, and it left no stain on her skin. Her mind left its grief behind and focused on this peculiar yet apparently normal object.

For a few minutes, she studied it. From the silver spots that were visible, she could tell it was beautifully designed. Her bucket of water still sat in the same spot and in it two rags. She rung one out and tried scrubbing the substance off, but it proved to be impossible. It was not happening.

"Ken!" Through her open door, the large golden eagle flew through and landed on the floor next to her. She fished through the draw next to her futon and pulled out parchment and ink. She wrote a note meant for the Keeper of the Uchiha. The Keeper was the person who looked after the Uchiha's secrets and their most valuable items. It could be compared to a library, and in a sense it was. But, one needed permission from the head of the clan or permission from the Keeper himself. However, she was in no condition to ask Tajima and the Keeper owed her a little favor for information she got on the Senju, which was also kept there.

She rolled the note up and placed it in the carrier wrapped around Ken's ankle. "Now where is the other…" As if the eagle had heard her thoughts, he made the same entrance as the other and landed next to him. In his talons he held a small knapsack Anju had specially made for either bird of prey to wear when needed. With delicate fingers, she tied the object into place around his back, the skin of her fingers brushing against the soft feathers of his belly and chest.

Getting to her feet was a task that made her lose her breath, but walking was easier this time around. She stood by the window and opened it, letting the furious rain from outside wet her floor and clothes. "Go the Keeper." Ken took off through the window and was gone into the night within seconds, consumed by the darkness and rain that poured outside. She closed the window, knowing Ren would let her know when Ken returned.

Aito had left her this object, and she knew it was for a reason. It was a puzzle for her to figure out, and unlike before, she now had the time to do so. Izuna could call her crazy, but she had been left this strange object to solve its riddle. The first, figuring out what kind of substance covered its beautiful design and how to get rid of it.

As she waited for Ken to return with what she asked for, she listened to fast, urgent footsteps coming down the hall, presumably from the outside. She could _hear_ the water fall from them as they moved. Was Izuna back already? It had not been that long, only 10 minutes or so. He couldn't be…

Her question was answered as Hisen peaked his head into her room and smiled. "Mind if I join you, Nēsan?"

She could sense a difference in him that made her anxious, but she nodded. This was, after all, her little brother. Nothing physical appeared to have changed, but it was more a change in his chakra that set her on the edge. It seemed he took notice of it as well as he hung his wet cloak outside her room and left his sandals there as well. "Can we talk?"

It was the way Hisen said it that made her anxiety disappear. He said like a child – a child who had just witnessed something terrible and was scared for his life. She did not need to confirm it or answer him. He simply walked over to her and curled up in a ball with his head on her lap, his eyes fixated on the staff lying before them. "Aito said I'm not allowed to touch it, but it calls to me. The voice in my head talks me out of it though."

Her onyx orbs narrowed suspiciously down at Hisen, not because she was suspicious of him, but because she could feel the same power in the staff in her brother. "Aito said Tajima would fill me on this _power_. Do you know anything about it, little brother?"

He shifted on her lap so he was looking up at her instead of looking at the staff. "Aito gave me something…it talks to me during the day and I see it in my sleep, or at least I see its eyes."

She zoned out as he spilled his heart out to her. She would have to ask him to repeat, but her mind had wandered. It sounded like Hisen was… was her little brother now a jinchūriki? No. Aito wouldn't… would he? How could he? Where would he have…

"Are you listening to me?" She refocused her attention to Hisen. He was obviously troubled and in pain. As much pain as she was in, emotionally and physically, she would always put Hisen's needs before her own and would not burden him with her most recent news. He apparently had enough on his plate.

She smiled softly at him, like a mother would her child. "Sorry, I was thinking. Start from the beginning, little brother."

 **OoO**

"You're late."

Izuna nodded and bowed in apology along with his brother to the council. "I apologize. Anju needed my attention."

Elder Ryoichi nodded. "She is better?" Izuna looked away. "She will need a lot of recovery time."

The look of revulsion on Elder Ryoichi's face made Izuna want to kill him. Why did the Elders not appreciate Anju? At least, why not Ryoichi? He wanted so badly to put Ryoichi in his place, but he was not the leader, and could not do so. So he sat there with a tense frame next to his brother.

"We have called this for one reason and one reason only," Elder Mitsuo looked at the two young men with a stern face. This was of absolute importance. "Your father has been abandoning his duties as the clan leader and leaving them to you, Madara. He has informed us that he is ill and this is his decision alone."

Tajima then spoke. "This has been long coming, my boys. And I say it happily, for you will lead this clan to greatness," Izuna tried to keep his excitement under control and keep his cool, like Madara, but Madara was naturally like that so it was difficult. "As you both know, I am sick. I do have plenty of time on my hands, but I am not able to fulfill my duties. So, I am resigning from my place as head of the clan, and in the wake of it, I am assigning it to you, Uchiha Madara."

Madara bowed his head in respect. "Hai, Otōsan. I honorably accept."

The Elders nodded in approval. Tajima kept a stone face and looked at his eldest son. "I know you will do better than I, and I know you won't let your feelings get in the way of your duties. You are older than I and much more experienced with leadership than I was when I became leader of this clan. Don't let me down."

"I won't, Otōsan," he looked at his younger brother. He couldn't do this without him. "And as my first order as leader of this clan, I appoint Uchiha Izuna as a head as well. Not second in command, but a leader of the clan with me."

The Elders whispered between each other, but Madara would not let them overrule his choice. He would not let the Elders control what he could do, and now was the time. "And you cannot, and will not, object to my decisions. I am not my father, and I am not the leaders before me. You will respect me and my brother, and all of our decisions. You are a council and therefore will council us. You listen to me now, and not the other way around. Am I clear?"

Wide eyes of shock and fear presented themselves on each elder. Madara was definitely a force to be reckoned with, even more so now that he was leader, and Izuna as well. Never had the clan had two leaders, but Madara felt they needed a change, but that change he knew had to wait. His father was pale and needed their attention. Changes would be made, but for now the council was safe from his wrath.

"Otōsan, let's return home. You are ill and need to rest." Tajima scoffed and stood with the Elders. "I may be ill but I am not helpless. You're already waving your stick around!"

A dark smirk tugged at Madara's lips, his eyes narrowing dangerously as they left the Elders behind. "You haven't seen anything yet, Otōsan. They're in for a rude awakening."


	10. Chapter 10: The Voice of Reason

**Well, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays! Which ever you prefer. I'd also liek to give an early Happy New Years, because I doubt I'll have a Chapter 13 out before then.**

 **I'd like to thank all of those who had favorited and followed this story and all of those who have reviewed! Thank you so much!**

 **Now, enjoy Chapter 12!**

 **OoO**

All that night, Anju had stayed awake, working with what the keeper had sent her. Much to her disappointment, nothing she was sent had much to do with the object, and what she assumed would help her was undecipherable. There was no doubt in her mind it was much like the stone tablet at Naka Shrine. If that were the case, she was screwed. How were scrolls she could not decipher any help to her?

To make things worse for her new anxiety and paranoia that came with not being able to defend herself, Izuna had not returned last night when he said he would. She didn't even feel his chakra come near her home, but she felt him within the boundaries of the clan. She knew she had no reason to worry and that he would be fine, and that he could handle himself well, but that didn't stop her. Without anything in her arsenal to help protect the clan in any way now, she felt alone and useless. She couldn't even walk down the hall without running out of breath.

How was she to keep the respect the clan had for her now that she was useless? All of that hard work she had put into making them believe in her, was gone. The clan wouldn't respect her anymore. She was nothing more than housewife now. She saw how they got treated. At this point she'd rather die than be sitting around miserable. The only thing kept her from doing so was the thought of her little brother.

Sure she had Eiko and Hakuoh, but Eiko was more focused on her husband and child than she was her own sister. Then there was Hakuoh who couldn't keep her hands off of one man. That woman needed a kick in the ass. Unfortunately, Anju could not give that to her now. Hisen was the only one Anju ever spent any time with. She trained him until he could defend himself and inflict severe damage, and she became his mother after theirs passed away. He still needed her and last night confirmed it. If Izuna and Madara thought they would be able to train Hisen, they were wrong. He needed a kinder environment to learn, and she knew how the brothers trained. It was not kind.

What could she do? Nothing, or at least, not in here. She had been waiting for the storm outside to rest, and finally it had. That's exactly what she needed. She needed to see her father's and Aito's grave, to see the evidence for herself and pay her respects. It had been such a long time since she had gone to the Uchiha graveyard to visit any of the deceased, including her mother. Maybe now was a good time to start into the habit again.

Lucky for her, there were still yukata's in her old room that fit her. She needed something simple to get into, and, since she could no longer be considered a shinobi, she could not wear the clothes of a shinobi. No more of those long shirts with high collars, or dark pants bandaged at the ankles. Yukata's would be her source of clothing, though she had only worn them a handful of times in her life. Not many were in her draws, but she managed to find a plain black one and took her time dressing herself and tying a matching obi around her waist. It was quite comfortable and the large sleeves were soft and roomy.

"Hmmm..." Although it was more comfortable in a material sense, it was not so in a personal sense. She felt uncomfortable in such an item. Her wardrobe was pants and shirts, not yukata's and cute little bows that the common Uchiha woman wore. She wore the clothes of a housewife or a maid, and she did not like it, no matter how soft and roomy the clothing was. It felt wrong.

She had no choice though. There was nothing else for her to wear and this was easy to slip on and off, and she needed that for her arm. Minimal movement was best, but it was still in pain. The fast healing process she had been so accustomed to was gone as well, and she was really feeling it.

"Ken, Ren – outside."

The eagles immediately woke to their name and flapped their wings. Anju pulled back the sleeve of her yukata and strapped leather around her right forearm. Only one could be carried if they so wished, but she knew both loved to fly and the birds knew she was in pain. They would most likely to watch her from above, but it didn't hurt be prepared.

As she walked out of her room and into the hallway that contained the rooms of her siblings – when they lived here. To the left was a way outside and the right was an entrance to the rest of the home. She wanted outside. Unfortunately, the moment she reached the end of the hallway, the burning her lungs was quite unbearable and she found it hard to stand. She wasn't leaving the estate without help.

After resting for a few minutes, she returned to her room, and, with reluctance, picked up the staff that was her height in length and used it as her support system. This time around though, it did not burn her hands. It was just a cold, inanimate object that was oddly dirty and beautifully shaped by an obviously expert craftsman. If only this black gunk would come off.

By the time she reached the entrance to her father's estate, she was completely out of breath and dizzy for the same reason. It was, however, not as bad as she thought it would be. And neither was the weather. She loved the smell of rain and the feel of an approaching storm. It had to be the first time she had smiled, even slightly, since she woke. It was so nice to feel the cool air on her skin and to inhale the aroma of a fresh rain that seemed to ease the burning in her chest.

On her own, she walked the slick and muddy roads weaving through the stronghold until she gave to the burial grounds. This was the longest she had walked and she was feeling it. Her vision was blurry, her head spun, and she was becoming short of breath. She was almost there. She couldn't give up when she was this close. She walked through rows, some freshly filled while others were covered with grass. Her memory was not fuzzy when it came to who was buried where, and there were a lot of graves. Too many to count. Not to long after, she was able to read the names of her mother, father, and brother. A heavy feeling of grief came over her a d she collapsed onto her knees in front of their graves. It was a great relief to her body and to her soul in a physical sense, but the sadness and sorrow that overcame her replaced it.

Her eyes became watery as she looked at the freshly filled graves. "Nii-san…Otōsan…" Her chest tightened but she refused to let herself cry. People died every day, was this not any different? Maybe it was because the only person her family had ever lost had been their mother. She was not familiar with loss, and she yet she found the tears dripping down her face in silence, joining the rain as it picked up.

"Why? Why did this happen to you, Otōsan? Why did Aito have to die? Why did I have to lose all I've fought so hard for?" Her hands balled into fists on her lap, "I don't know what to do, Otōsan. I don't know how to deal with not being a ninja. I don't know how to deal with death."

Never had she lost someone other than her mother. Others in the Uchiha had lost sons, daughters, wives, and husbands, like Izuna and Madara. First it had been Arata, who died protecting his twin brothers, Ryota and Kenta. And in the same battle, the twins lost their lives. One died on the battlefield and the other died on the way home from his injuries. They lost three siblings in one night, and Tajima three of his sons. But she… she had never lost anyone until she was an adult. She was not equipped to deal with this and did not know how. How did one just go on living without a father or brother?

She uncurled her hands and wiped the rain from her face. Her face visibly paled as she noticed the blood running down her hands. She had clenched her hands into fists so tightly that her nails had cut her skin. How could she not have noticed that? Still, she did not feel need to get up, no matter how cold and wet she was. It wasn't just because of her emotions that she could not raise herself, but her body was incapable of standing on its on two legs, and the deeper the breaths she took, the more agony she put her lungs in.

Seeing as she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she kept thinking. If she had been more careful, would this have been avoided? How did Izuna deal with this all so well? Despite how much she cared and loved him, she found herself wanting to push him away and to leave her alone to waste in her self-pity and self-loathing. She understood that he loved her and that he would be there for her no matter what, but at what cost?

The gods knew she wanted him by her side, but a part of her – this dark, grieving part of her – wanted him to stay away and let her rot. She couldn't fight it even though she tried. Though she had only been awake for merely two days, since the moment Izuna left, she could not escape this dark, sad place came over her, especially now. It made sure to let her know not all would be alright again.

Absorbed in herself, she did not notice anyone else come into the burial grounds. "You're going to get sick out here, woman." She looked to the side, but did not need to see them to know who the deep, baritone voice belonged to. "Come here to gloat? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not playing your games today, so go bark up someone else's tree." She felt his cloak touch her as the wind blew it in her direction. Did he have to stand so close? She was in no mood for his cruel words.

Madara was taken back by the tone of her voice. There was no emotion there. Not one. Were things worse than what Izuna had cared to say? "Why would I gloat about death? There is nothing fun in such a thing."

She snapped at him. "You know very well what I mean! Now leave me be!" Couldn't she just grieve in peace and be left out in the cold? So what if she died? At least she wouldn't have to live the life of a housewife!

But it seemed Madara would not let her be today, not that she could fight him anyways. There was no point in it. If she tried, she'd only tire herself out more and fuel his amusement. He walked into her peripheral vision and crouched down to her level, taking her left hand in his, letting the rain wash away the blood. She did not watch him much longer. What was the point in watching someone she didn't want to be around _and_ couldn't read. He was emotionless, with his only feelings – if any – being towards Izuna. And Aito wanted her to apologize to him? Bullshit.

"Did you do this?" She felt no reason to answer him. "Uchiha Anju – did you do this to yourself?" Still she remained silent, stewing in her anger and grief. Could he just leave her be?

Two fingers gripped her chin and she found herself having to look into his onyx eyes that were cold as always. She was shocked by the firm yet gentle grip he held on her and the stern gaze that was thrown upon her. "Answer me right now. Did you do this to yourself?"

After a moment of silence, she averted her gaze. "Not intentionally." His eyes bore into her being. She was telling the truth and she knew he could sense it. What reason had she to lie? If it was one thing, she was not a liar. She was a straight forward person… most of the time.

"You need this looked at. Now I'll give you the option of letting me help you up, willing that is, or you can be a brat and make me take you by force." Her eyes wandered back to his, a chill running down her spine at his words that promised to do exactly as he said.

There was something else in those usually cold orbs of black, and couldn't just be her eyes deceiving her. What was it? Emotions, even ones as small as this, were so strange on him. They were alien and made her uncomfortable. It was as if his eyes didn't know that they were showing such a thing.

"Okay." The word slipped from her lips, like his eyes had drawn it out of her. However, she didn't make much of an effort to help him other than to grab her staff, which he also took. "Have you tried cleaning it up?" She didn't speak to him in any way, shape, or form. Why should she have to? He had made her entire existence miserable, or tried to at least.

It seemed he didn't really care, for he didn't pester her further about it. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed hers around his shoulders. The height difference between them made such a position uncomfortable, but who was she to complain? He'd just drag her off anyways.

At first she thought he meant to take her to the infirmary, but she was mistaken. They went in the opposite direction, towards her father's old home, and once again they turned differently, heading in the direction of Madara's home. "Why are we going there?"

"Izuna is looking for you, that's why. Any other questions?" And he was back to himself in no time. Cold eyes with on a stoic, sharp face that gave nothing away. She expected no less.

Still, she remained in the depths of her mind, and an ugly truth occurred to her. Madara was right. All those times he said she was weak and worthless, he was right. She couldn't even walk to bid her farewells to her father and brother without collapsing, and even now, as he assisted her in walking, she was having trouble getting enough oxygen into her lungs. She was weak, and once word got out that she would no longer be considered a shinobi, she would be worthless.

A loud sigh sounded from Madara, his head lowered. "You know, your thoughts are rather depressing and false."

His words angered her immediately. "Stay out of my head!"

Red eyes met hers, reading her every grieving and angry thought in the matter of seconds. He did not like what he had seen, but stayed quiet until they arrived to the main wing of the house. A maid took his cloak and her own, presumably taking them to get dried and washed, and before she left, assisted Anju in removing her shoes, even though she protested. It seemed Madara held an iron fist over the servants of his home. Why wasn't she surprised? At least he was letting her walk on her own now, sort of. She was having trouble with her vision from lack of air. Would this ever go away?

She did make it to the dining hall, though she trailed behind by a few minutes. The cushions around the low table beckoned for her and she did not protest that. They were very soft, but were soaked in the matter of minutes from herself.

"Here." Madara set a white cup in front of her and brought out a tray with dango and what looked to be freshly prepared sushi. The smell was absolutely amazing and was enough to bring her out of the dark place in her mind. But, when she reached out for the food, Madara caught her hand and turned it over so her palm was facing up. "What the hell? Would you just leave me alone?"

She tried to tug away from him, but he held her arm firmly in place as he washed the dried blood off her palms with a gentleness she did not know any man could possess. For the next couple minutes, she sat there in complete shock, not knowing what to say or do.

When he finished with both hands, he rubbed a yellowish substance into the wounds, making her flinch. It stung. He looked up at her. "Don't want them getting infected, do you?" She looked away from his eyes. They glowed red with the sharingan, letting her know no thoughts were safe. There was no need for speaking if he would just read what was on her mind.

It seemed he heard that, for his eyes returned to the color of coal, dark and cold. "Why are you helping me?"

Madara's gaze left her palms as he dressed them and searched her face. That was a very good question. Why was he helping her? Obviously she had heard nothing he had said during her comatose state, which he was quite thankful for. How weak he had been to let this woman get the better of him before! But, thinking of her previous state, his gaze softened upon her. Why was he helping her?

He could have easily left her in the burial grounds to freeze and possibly get pneumonia, but something stopped him. When he saw her in the distance, sitting on her knees wrecked with grief at the loss of her brother and father, and the loss of her abilities, something inside of him snapped.

Carefully, he tucked the remainder of the bandages underneath her already wrapped hands. "Izuna loves you to death. When you were dying, he was a wreck. If he were to find out I left you out in the cold and rain, he would never forgive me." And that was the truth. Izuna would never forgive him for leaving Anju to die. It didn't matter if they were brothers or not. Madara knew Izuna would not forgive him. Anju was a whole other battle – one he would not win.

She looked away and picked up a piece of the sushi the servants had prepared for dinner, plopping it into her mouth. She appeared deep in thought, and then, she began shaking and her teeth chattered from the cold. He forgot she was soaked. Although the house was warm, she was recovering and in wet clothes. It was not a good combination.

With a sigh, he held his hands out to her. "Here, give me your hands." She pulled away from him and he narrowed his eyes. "Fine, I'll do it my way." He grabbed her hands and held them between his. She struggled for a moment, until Madara's hands heated up. Her shivering dwindled as he moved his hands over her yukata, causing it to steam and sizzle as the heat of his hands countered the cold water and made it evaporate. "Better?"

She glanced at him and took a sip of the tea he had prepared. "Hai." The fact she answered him was an improvement. As he moved his hands down her back, he could feel her bones. She had lost so much weight. It sickened him. And then, he felt her power. Her chakra was there, but he could feel what Elder Yuuna had felt – something blocked it. And he felt the rest of it. That poison had done a number on her body.

"Why?" He stopped, meeting her empty eyes. "Why are you helping me? Really?"

Madara removed his hands, but Anju grabbed them, much to his surprise. "You can keep going." A smirk tugged his lips upwards as he placed his hands on her shoulder, gently massaging her body. Even after almost ten minutes of this, she was still freezing. "Are you going to answer me? Or are you just going to be a pain in the ass?"

A smile tugged at Madara's lips and chuckle followed. "There's the Anju I know, but I wouldn't speak to your new clan head in such a manner." Anju's body froze under his hands. "You were appointed clan head? When?"

"Last night, after Izuna left you. Next to me, he is also a new head. It is the first time there have been two." After he spoke, he went back to warming her up. She was getting better.

"So that's why he didn't come back…" He felt the warmth he had got her in to disappear and her shoulders slumped. That warmth became replaced with something much gloomier. "Hai. We had to discuss things with Otōsan." His hands rested on her lower back for a moment. Then, he closed his eyes before moving his hands back up. "At least you've gotten your wish now. I suppose that's my _present_ to you, not being a shinobi anymore."

He stopped once again. Did she really think he hated her _that_ much? Had he really been that harsh on her? "What have I done to make you think I hate you that much?"

"Have you forgotten the countless times you put me in 'my rightful place', the ground? The countless times you've injured me purposely to teach be a lesson? Or what about the countless put downs and harsh words? You act like I'm a _Senju_ , Madara!"

When she put it like that, he began to realize how much his actions had affected her life. Had he been too hard on her where her father wasn't? Was his disciplinary actions too much? He had done such things to Izuna, but not to such an extent… He was just trying to be the discipline she never got until she disciplined herself. He could have stopped there, but why didn't he? At any point he could have looked away and thought about his actions, but he didn't. Why?

His hands reached her shoulders again and stopped. He looked down at her, since even on his knees he had quite the height advantage over her. Her ponytail loose had become loose, allowing wet strands of hair to fall in front of her pale, anguished face. This woman had only been awake for two days and she acted like it was the end of the world. The Anju that had gone to sleep was not the same Anju who had woken up. That Anju would have been fighting through this and been a fiery, optimistic individual. But who was he to judge? He had never taken the time to get to know her, but he knew well enough that she needed to get her mind out of the gutter, and he knew Izuna was not for the job. He was too soft on her and she needed a firm hand, not someone to treat her lightly.

Taking matters into his own hands, he stood and pulled her up with him. "What the-" To shut her up, he smacked the back of her head, sending her forward some. The shock that registered on his face pleased him. She rubbed the spot, getting ready to speak again, but he beat her to it. "You act like it's the end of the damn world! Listen to me – people die every day! You act like you have to die as well! You need to stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself! Do you think no one else in this clan has lost someone? You need to move on! Sitting around reflecting on what has happened isn't going to help you, it is going to make you worse! I'm sorry this has happened to you, but you are alive! That's what matter's right now!"

"We can't all be like you, Madara! We can't all be emotionless and not care about the ones we lose!"

Something in him snapped. "So, that's what you think?" He shook his head and walked around her, standing behind her with his lips next to her ear. "You think I am an emotionless incapable of feeling the pain that comes with losing someone? Do you really think I did not grieve for days on end when I lost my brothers and later my Okāsan? No one knows the pain of losing the ones you love more than I do, Anju." His heart fluttered painfully in his chest as he thought of how the following weeks after the death of his mother affected him, and the deaths of his brothers. It was a pain he did not like to revisit.

"Before you go around pointing fingers as if you know someone, be sure you actually _know_ them, Anju." He stepped away from her as she turned towards him, her head tilted back to look at his face, puzzled. "Now sit down, drink some tea, and have a meal."

They stood toe-to-toe, face to face, neither one moving. It was an intense stare down between onyx eyes. "Now that I have your attention, do as I said and sit down, drink your tea, and think about what you're going to do with yourself. No clan member of mine is going to sit on their ass doing nothing all day pitying themselves and being angry at the world when they can do something to stop it!"

It seemed what he said had gotten through to her head, at least partly. She removed her eyes from him and took a few steps back to her seat and crossed her legs as she sat down. Once again, he smacked the back of her head. "What was that for!?" She glared at him and rubbed her head yet again.

"Stop listening to every damn thing I say! It's annoying." He sat across from her and plopped one of the dango balls into his mouth, watching her intently.

Who would have thought? Madara, a voice of reason, to her nonetheless. The reasonable, logical part of her knew he was right. But that small, pained part of her that came with learning this terrible news nagged at her. "Don't give in to the depression. You have to fight it. The moment you listen to the dark thoughts is the moment you lose your sanity."

How did he know all of this? Then, she recalled the talk she had with Aito before he passed. With it, she remembered the look on Madara's face when he told her her mother had been murdered. She would never forget that look of pain on his face that reminded her Madara was in fact human.

Suddenly, she felt something she could only describe as sympathy towards the older male. "Is…is that how you deal with everything? By doing _this_?" It seemed her question surprised him. He stopped mid chew, staring at her with a raised brow. The expression was quite funny on his face, actually, any emotion on his face was quite amusing, and, despite the situation and her question, a smile crawled onto her face.

He closed his mouth, contemplating answering the question. "You see-"

"ANJU!" Before she could get her answer, she was picked up and spun around the room. "Where the hell have you been!?" When she was set down, she was met with the stern, though mostly worried gaze of Izuna. He was dripping with water from head to toe, obviously in distress. She placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to catch her balance. "I went outside."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You worried me sick! Next time, leave a note please? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

She had no idea he'd be this upset. He looked like he'd aged a hundred years in the matter of an hour or so, and she felt bad. "I'm sorry, Izuna. I just couldn't sit inside anymore." She was once again wrapped up into his warm embrace. "I am never leaving your side again. I promise."

And she believed him. He stared down at her, the promise in his eyes. "Let me take you to the hot spring here so you can warm up and I can find you something to wear. Unlike Madara, I don't usually use the servants." The two brothers glared at each other, and it seemed her encounter with Madara had been forgotten. "That sounds nice."

Izuna's smile faded and turned into a flat line. "How did you end up here?"

Madara answered for her. "I brought her here. She was outside in the cold and couldn't get up."

Shock then Izuna's usual happiness came onto his face. "Thank you, for bringing my Anju back safely. I'll see you for dinner?" The brothers silently nodded to each other, a seemingly silent agreement. In a hurry, Izuna wrapped an arm around her waist, letting her use him for support as he walked her to the hot springs. This estate had been built around them at one of the first heads orders. It had been awhile since she had been in them, and she craved the warmth they gave.

But as he escorted her and talked, she couldn't help but think about her exchange with Madara. He had treated her differently from the others times. This time, he had not been out to put her down, but rather he was trying to build her up again, or so it seemed. Maybe she was thinking too much about it. After all, why would Madara even be like that towards her? There was no reason, but she still felt she should take his words to heart. He was, for once, right.

"What's with the thinking face?" Izuna looked to her with concern. Her body warmed at such a look, as well as her mind. Such love in those eyes. "Its…It's just been a strange time being awake and all. I'm not sure what to think right now."

He chuckled, sliding the door to the springs open, his face was quite serious. "Just relax in the springs. Holler for me if you need anything. I'm going to find you something dry to wear, alright?"

Could she have asked for anyone better than Izuna? No. He was by far the most thoughtful person she had ever met, but it just might be towards her. She thought about what Aito had said to her.

 _"…I know how cruel he has been to you in particular, but you need to let go of the hate you have for him and forgive him for what he has and has not done. Once you do, you will be able to say yes to Izuna. If not, it will only harm you and your life, and your life with Izuna. Trust me."_

If only it were that easy.


	11. Chapter 11: Lessons

**Well, I have a perfectly good explanation for not posting in such a long time. Really, it's not some excuse. You see, my laptop and I have not been getting along lately. So, while I was trying to revise chapters and write a new one, it decided that it would of Office close on me randomly and when I saved and finally, it shut itself down and i was unable to use it. By the time I got it back on, I was out of data and had to get up early in the morning to use extra data to re-download everything.**

 **As of now, were getting along and will be going back to updating regularly.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story, which is also on wattpad in case you did not know, and I apologize if there are any mistakes in this chapter. This is mostly just a filler, since I've been stuck with a headache the past few days.**

 **Another note - thank you hanae-croix for those pictures! I'm in love them! You may continue drawing them if you'd like!**

 **So, enjoy!**

 **OoO**

From afar, an amused father watched his son spar in their yard with two opponents, both fighting to be on the council, for that was a new rule Madara was enforcing. If a ninja of the clan could defeat Madara, or impress him, they would be on the council. So far, two had made the cut. It was to be believed that the boy's council would be small indeed, and for that Tajima thought wise. Too many opinions got annoying, tiring, and took up too much time. His son knew how to make the right decisions, even in the most hectic situations. Unlike him, Madara was ready to be the clan head.

When Tajima had been appointed clan head, it was not because he was close to the clan head in any way or a friend. In fact, he openly defied the previous head of the clan, which always resulted in his punishment. Everything Tajima had been through, up until his appointment, had been a lesson. Each lesson he taught his sons, though each interpreted it differently.

Even though Madara had out grown his stories, there were still lessons for him to learn. That, Tajima was very aware of. That did not mean Tajima thought himself to know all, but he came very close. He had had countless life lessons that molded and beat him into the person he became to be, and they still did so. Now, it was time for those to be done to Madara. He needed another lesson.

"Madara, you're going to kill them. They've had enough."

Reminiscing had passed, and Tajima held his hand up for his son to stop, and he obediently did so. Madara was exactly like he had hoped. He was cruel, unforgiving, and merciless – to those outside the clan. He treated his fellow clansmen with respect once they earned it. He believed it was to be earned and not entitled, and they did the same for him.

Of course, Tajima could have hoped he would treat the women of the clan better, but he could not complain. Nothing was compared to how women used to be treated in the clan. At least now they had a chance to fight and had respect, most of the time. Tajima had done that for them. He only hoped Madara would keep it that way.

"You're unusually quiet, Otōsan."

Tajima looked at his son, who was barely out of breath and had not one scratch on him. A magnificent shinobi he was indeed, better than he could have ever hoped. "I'm only thinking, Madara. A lot has happened in such a short time."

"Hai, it has."

The two stood silently, though Tajima's head was anything but silent. It was time to discuss what request Hiroshi had laid upon Madara, not that Tajima didn't already know the request, because he did.

"Hate is meant for our enemies, not those within the clan walls. For if we begin to hate each other, then we begin to lose our trust, and after our trust, our loyalty, and after our loyalty, our friendship, sending us into an inferno of anarchy and bloodshed that should be sent upon the enemy, not ourselves."

Madara stood silently, staring out at their garden in silence as his Otōsan spoke. "I know what Hiroshi asked of you. You show that you care for what happens to her, yet you openly show your hate and distrust meant for the Senju, towards her."

"What is your point?"

"I've already told you my point, Madara. You hate a fellow clan member for no obvious reason or no reason at all," Tajima frowned, "I'm going to tell you a story, Madara, and you are going to listen."

"If it is your story about how you became leader, I am already aware of the lesson in poses. Treat your men with respect, loyalty, and equality, and they will indisputably follow you through the gates of hell."

Tajima chuckled, "You know the lesson of that, yet you put yourself higher than others, but," Madara met his gaze, "I expect no less from the strongest shinobi this clan has ever seen, nor do I want to expect any less. I cannot change how you work nor how you think, but I can offer you new experiences to give you different outlooks."

"What is your lesson today then?" A smiled crossed his lips as he motioned for his son to follow him. They walked away from the veranda, and into the adjoining room it was attached to, and sat down on different sides of a shogi board. "I will tell you a story and you will tell me what you have learned, understood?"

Tajima made the first move. "There was once a young boy and a young girl. He was older than she. She had an older brother who did not care for her because he had craved a brother. Because of that, he neglected her and instead took on the older brother role for the young boys brothers and the young boy himself."

"That young boy who was not her brother then took on the role as brother from her and protected her from the moment he first saw her as an infant. He was trusted to babysit her and watched her as she grew. He helped her take her first steps and helped her speak her first words, even though he was only a few years older than she. He filled the older brother role and became her best friend."

"However, a few years later when the young boy was old enough to fight and the girl was not, he was taken out on a mission, but promised to return to her in the following days. What was supposed to be a few days turned into a week and the week into a month and that into longer. It was the longest he had ever been away from home and away from the girl. He was very excited to return home and see his companion."

"But, it seemed while he was gone, her attention had been put into a sibling of the young boy. Given her young age, she attached herself to him to make up for the broken promise of return that her older companion had promised. So when he did return and found them rough housing, he broke it up only to be yelled at by the young girl, who did not greet him in any way and left with his sibling. It tore him apart, for he had grown quite fond of the young girl. He told himself he wouldn't give up and desperately tried to get her attention."

"She would not pay any attention to him, since all of it was on his sibling. Finally, the young boy snapped one day and smacked the young girl when she insulted him. That's when she gave him her attention. He found out that day, that when he was rude to her, he gained her attention. But as time went on, he began to forget his original feelings towards her. Jealousy became him, and that jealousy turned into hate as he forgot about his previous memories of the girl."

"He began to hate her for no apparent reason and he could not figure out or remember the reason. She began to hate him and she too could not remember why she had begun to hate in the first place. The abuse he placed on her made them both forget. She only remembered ever being with the younger sibling all her life, and believed that that older boy had always been like that towards her, and he believed the same exact thing."

As he finished, Madara made a final play and won. They stared at each other, with Tajima awaiting for his son to tell him what he learned about the story. He was silent for some time before he spoke. "The trauma he put her through made her attach herself further to his sibling. She was young, so her memory was small. He was gone for so long that she forgot her good memories of him and replaced them with ones of his sibling. And since he focused so much on making her pay attention to him out of cruel actions, he forgot how he really felt in the first place, and because they had grown to despise each other so much, they completely erased the memories as if they never existed."

"And what lesson have you learned?" Tajima reset the board, pleased with his sons answer so far. Though this time, he could tell his son was struggling in finding the lesson behind this story. Madara scratched the back of his head as he moved. "Not everything is as it seems? I'm not sure, Otōsan. You have me stuck on this one."

It was as he had expected. With a sigh, he sat back, his arms folded against his chest as he predicted his next move. "I cannot tell you the lesson, Madara. You have to figure it out for yourself."

The game continued in silence, until Tajima emerged the victor. This time, Madara set the board back in place and they began a third game. As Tajima observed his son, he noticed him to be quite confused. "Is something wrong, Madara?"

His brow furrowed and his lips tugged downward into a frown. "This story you have told me… it reminds me of something I saw in Anju's dreams when I… when I watched her while she was in her coma."

Had Madara seen what he thought he'd seen. Tajima watched with wide eyes. "What did you see, exactly?"

For a moment, it seemed Madara would answer, but he chuckled and shook his head. "No, dreams are dreams, right? It was nothing."

"You know who you remind me of, Madara?" He did not look up at his son as he moved his piece. "You remind me of the boy in my story. You have forgotten memories that have been locked away by hate."

Though he could not see Madara, he could feel the anger seeping from him at his words. "I can assure you, Otōsan, I have all my memories."

"Then tell me, Madara, what do you remember from when you were six years old?" This time, Madara locked eyes with his son, curious as to answer he would supply. "I remember Izuna's birth and adventures with Aito. I remember Okāsan caring for him and having Ayame-san over a lot with Anju."

A deep sigh escaped his lips and he mumbled under his breath. "Just like the boy in the story." Fortunately, his son did not hear him, and only glared at his father. "Some lessons take longer than others for you to figure out, and the same is for your brother."

"He will be getting this story as well?"

"I give both of you the same lessons, so hai, I will tell him. That is, whenever he decides to return home." He chuckled. Izuna was so in love, much like he had been with Momoko. And he knew just by watching how the two behaved with each other, that the feelings were mutual between them. Even in her state, she was worried for his wellbeing. "Though, it is a pity what has happened to poor Anju. I can't imagine how she is feeling. To never have really lost someone and to wake up to your brother and father gone. And then, to find out there is a very good chance she may never be a shinobi again. I know she doesn't want to admit it, but I believe that is why she is so depressed."

"And I thought it was just me who thought that." Madara's answer surprised him. So, he too had taken notice of the girl's obvious depression. Even with Izuna around, she was still depressed. Tajima stayed quiet, as Madara continued to speak. "All her life she has worked towards being a shinobi. Now, it's all been taken away from her and she will not get it back. Just walking down the hall nearly kills her. Such a loss…" It seemed Madara caught himself, and looked up at his father, seemingly surprised by his own words.

Tajima smiled gently at his son and made his move on the board. "So, you do believe she is strong and a great ninja? Who would have thought."

"She _was_ strong and she _was_ a great ninja. She is not anymore." His son made another move, winning the game. They both sat back and looked at each other. But, Tajima still grinned. I can think of someone who would love to hear that."

A snort sounded from his son, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "With what I've done? She will never believe a word I say or ever forgive me. There is not point."

Madara's words stunned him. They were earnest, and the vulnerable look on his face proved that he had, in fact, thought about making amends. "Madara, it is never too late to apologize for your actions. You will feel a great weight lifted off your shoulders."

The board was reset by his son in silence. It was not often Madara made himself vulnerable to him, and it was usually something that greatly bothered him if he did. He had no idea Madara was feeling such a way, but it was not spoken of further. Madara was already uncomfortable enough as it was, and even thought Tajima wanted to speak of it more, he knew now was not the time.

 **OoO**

A tree cracked as a fist made contact with it. It did not fall, but a hole had been made through its thick trunk. The owner of the fist pulled out their bleeding hand, clearly aggravated. "Why is this so fucking hard!?" Hisen yelled to no one in particular, holding his hand against his stomach.

From the roofed, open hallway that split the courtyard into two halves, Izuna watched on helplessly as Hisen lost his temper. He did not blame the poor boy. For hours he had been trying to get Hisen to perform the powers the beats inside him possessed, and tried to get him to connect with it, but his actions had been in vain. It was pouring rain, with thunder sounding in the skies and lightning flashing a few times a minute. Hisen was soaking wet, while he remained mostly dry.

"Hisen, come here!" He had to yell over the storm to get the boys attention, and when he did, Hisen took his time getting to cover and sat down against one of the posts as he did so. He looked defeated. "How about a twenty-minute break? Meditate. I'm going to check on Anju."

Angrily, Hisen glared up at Izuna. "What the hell is meditating supposed to do!?"

Hisen's outbursts immediately angered Izuna. He could only take so much, and this was it. His eyes glowed crimson, not with the sharingan, but with the mangekyou. "Watch your mouth! Aito said to meditate and that's final! You will do as you are told!"

If one person scared Hisen when they were angry, it was Izuna. He put his hands up in defense. "O-okay, I-Izuna-sama. Bye." That guy was scary once he got angry and he did not get angry often. It wasn't Madara scary – who was all the time – but when Izuna got angry, it was a totally different kind of frightening. But, Hisen couldn't help but get worked up. He was going through all this trouble and training for what was beginning to look like nothing.

When Izuna was out of sight, Hisen banged his head against the post. Were they even sure he held something inside of him? Of course he could feel something there, but it was just out of his reach. He wanted some sort of proof of its existence. He wanted to give Izuna and Madara _something_.

For what had to be the umpteenth time that day – and it was only a little past noon – Hisen folded his legs and brought his fists together in front of him. The entire clan was relying on him to control this power and bring them more victories, even Madara. He had to do this, even if it killed him.

He pushed all his thoughts from his head, which was a difficult task. And once those thoughts were gone, he blocked out every noise, which proved to be equally hard. But, after minutes of struggle, he found his mind blank and clear of any thoughts what so ever. It was just a black abyss.

A growl sounded, and he thought it to be his stomach. However, that did not seem to be the case. The sound came again, this time more menacing and louder. He was starting to became afraid and quivered, though he didn't know if it was from the cold or from the sudden fear that overcame him. "Wh-who's there?"

Ae he tried to break out of the meditation, he felt as if he was being thrown against the floor. A loud, sharp gasp sounded from him as his eyes shot open. The breath had been knocked out of his body. What had happened to him?

Despite the fear, he shakily placed his fists back together. With a deep intake of breath, he began again. Like just minutes before, he heard the growling, like that of a dog. It was a deep noise and he focused on it. And like before, he felt like he was being thrown against the ground. Except this time, when he opened his eyes, he really was on a cold ground of stone. What had he done? Where was he? His surroundings did not answer his questions. He was surrounded by a black abyss with no end and no beginning.

In hopes of seeing better, he activated his sharingan and searched. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. There was no end and no beginning. It was just a black abyss. No way out. As his eyes shot around, he found himself calling for help. "Anju! Izuna-sama!" His voice only echoed back to him. He got into a sitting position and tried again. "Nēchan! Izuna-sama!" The only thing that answered him was his echo.

As he stood and looked around, a rumbling sound shook the ground and vibrated his being. "Do not be afraid, young one." The voice that sounded in his ears was deeper and lower than any voice he had ever heard. It did not calm his nerves. It only made his fear worse. "Calm down young one! You're going to give yourself a heart attack!"

He went to scream, but a large, bushy white tail tipped in dark blue shot out and brushed under his chin. It was so unusually soft and quite warm. He found himself unable to speak and growing calmer by the second. "That's better. Now maybe we can talk."

The tail was tugged from underneath him, depraving him of its warmth and comfort. The question was, who or what did it belong to. Boldly, he looked to the direction in which the tail retreated. "What are you?"

From the darkness, a pair of exceptionally large, amethyst eyes with slit pupils like that of cat, made themselves present. "I'm wounded. Aito obviously did not leave any instructions, did he?"

After a moment of silence, what the pair of eyes said made his eyes widen. "You're…you're the beast!"

Another growl sounded. "I have a name and it is Kouzai! It's all about power to you humans!" Its eyes softened onto Hisen's form, "except for you. All you want is to protect your sister. You don't even care about the power I hold."

He averted his gaze, but it was true. Aito had knocked him out and when he woke up, there were blue marks burning into his skin that have since disappeared. The pain he had experienced when they were disappearing was excruciating. "I didn't ask for you. I had no idea you were inside me until just now! And even now…" Even now, he found it hard to believe this to be actually happening.

The tail from before came out, followed by a second, and wrapped themselves around Hisen's body, warming him in an instant and calming his nerves. "This is why Aito has left me to you. You do not desire anything except the safety of your family. You couldn't care less about power," the tails unwound themselves from around his body, "and you are the only one besides Aito who has been compatible with my chakra."

The dark blue tips of both tails glowed much too brightly for him to look at so he closed his eyes. "Take it away – I don't want it!"

His eyes shot open as something warm touched his stomach. For a moment, he could not breathe. All he could do was stare at the blue glow until it pulled away from him, sending him to his knees to catch his breath. "I cannot take myself away from you. However, I can buy you some resting time by allowing you access to my wind nature chakra, which is exactly what I have done."

"How did you know that's what Izuna was trying to do?"

One of the tails came in front of him and touched his forehead. The eyes came into view and by how they slimmed, he knew whatever it was, was smiling. "I am a part of you now. I shall visit you every night. Now, go show what the Uchiha male what we are capable of."

His eyes widened, but within the moment, he smiled in thanks. "Kouzai, isn't it?" He closed his eyes, and felt the softness of the tail on his body. "Thank you."

When Hisen opened his eyes, he as staring at the other half of the courtyard, tired. What he had just experienced – was it real? Had he just made contact with the beast inside of him? Or was it just his imagination. However, when he felt his body, it was completely dry and warm. And when he looked down at his arms, he watched as deep blue marks that glowed on his skin faded into nothing as if they were never there.

 **OoO**

Izuna entered the courtyard, Anju by his side and her hand in his. She wanted to watch Hisen train for a bit and who was he to deny her that? It was in the courtyard and not a far walk for her. Here, he could keep an eye on her and she would be safe.

She squeezed his hand and he looked down at her. "Something wrong?"

Her eyes looked into the courtyard and he followed her gaze. His eyes widened as he saw Hisen sitting in the rain in the middle of courtyard, playing with two small tornados. A smile came onto Izuna's face as he watched Hisen's furrowed brow as he concentrated on what he was doing. That smile faded when he took notice of the dark blue glowing marks on the boy's skin.

Glancing away from her, he watched as Hisen made a third mini tornado with ease. "He did it." Izuna looked down at her smiling face. It was the first in the past week and a half. Her smile made him smile. "Hai, he did."


	12. Chapter 12: We

Just what was it about this woman?

That was the one question Madara asked himself as he watched her sleep. What was it about her that made him so angry? What was it about her that made Izuna love her so? It aggravated him to no end.

He stepped from the window and into her room, walking over to the edge of her bed and sitting next to her. She looked so much better now. He could see the life in her face, and when he placed his hand against her cool neck, he felt the life pumping through her veins.

That same hand trailed up to her cheek and cupped her face gently. Reason one Izuna loved her – she was beautiful. He gave her that. He was surprised she didn't remember that he called her beautiful, or maybe she did but kept it to herself. That wouldn't surprise him.

"You are quite the catch. A real beauty." His thumb unconsciously ran over her small lips. "Just let me check something and I'll be on my way."

His onyx eyes glowed crimson in the dark as he stared down at her form and placed a finger against her forehead. He needed to confirm what he saw. He needed to confirm if it was a dream or indeed a memory. His father's lesson from the day would make more sense if he could solve this. He transported himself into her dreams, and he was not disappointed.

 _A young version of Anju, around three, stopped and cupped a pink rose between her fingers in Momoko's garden. "So pretty!" She wanted to bring it back to her mother. She loved these roses._

 _"Ow!" She pulled away in both surprise and pain, one of the thorns pricking her finger and causing it to bleed. "Okāsan! Okāsan!" She yelled for her mother but she did not come. Tears pricked her eyes. The small injury stung her delicate hand, and when she walked forward, she tripped over a root of a tree._

 _"Okāsan!" She cried out, but no one came and no one answered. She sat on the ground and sniffed. Her knee hurt from falling on the ground and she watched as it bled. Could anyone hear her out here? Her mother was inside with Momoko. Was she alone?_

 _A bush near her rustled, catching her attention and making her realize she was indeed not alone. She backed up against a tree, fearing it to be a wild animal or possibly an enemy ninja. She covered her face as tears began to run down her face. She was all alone. "Okāsan..."_

 _A gentle voice reached her ears, "Anju, are you okay?" She peaked through her fingers, staring at the stomach of the approaching person. When they reached her, she covered her face back up, only have her hands removed by a larger, warmer pair. It was Madara. He frowned at her. "I told you to be careful." He patted her head gently and sat next her. To her surprise, he pulled her into his lap. "Let me see."_

 _Reluctantly, she held her bleeding hand out to Madara. He took her hand in his. "It's not so bad. It's just a prick."_

 _"Wa-wait! Madara!" She pulled back as Madara took her finger in his mouth, but seeing as it was futile in struggling, she stopped. Her finger warmed and the pain ceased. She relaxed, but felt her face heat up in embarrassment. She was saved by Madara yet again. "See? All better now." He placed her hand back in her lap and smiled. He looked to the bush she sat next to and stood, picking the pink rose she had stuck her finger on and handed it to her. "Next time just call for me, Anju. I'll always be there for you."_

 _She smiled brightly, her previous pain forgotten as Madara handed her the beautiful flower. "You promise Madara?"_

 _Madara held out his pinky finger. "I promise."_

He shot away from her, standing near the door, panting and holding his right eye. It couldn't be real, could it? Could he have cared for her once upon a time? No. There was no way it was possible.

Pain shot through his skull as he willed himself to forget what he saw, but it was in vain. His mind flashed through that day and how he carried her inside after he found her in the garden. He closed his eyes and calmed himself. What was this? Was it really the truth, or was his mind playing tricks on him? Even if it were true, it meant nothing.

He pushed his hair out of his face and looked at her. What was hidden in their memories that hurt him so? What was it that caused this aching feeling in his chest when he saw those visions? He had a feeling he would find out soon.

The pain fading, he went back to her side and bent over her, staring down at her sleeping face. Izuna was a lucky man. He remembered his meeting with Izuna earlier that day.

 _After long hours of sparring, Madara sat under a tree with his brother, sipping watering from a canteen to rehydrate himself. Even after breaking for ten minutes, he was still out of breath. Leave it to Izuna to cause such a thing. Always giving him a run for his money._

 _He looked at his little brother who was so deep in thought. There was such a depressing look on his face. "Izuna?"_

 _The little brother glanced at him and smiled. "Hai, nii-san?"_

 _So, he was acting stupid now, was he? Madara's eyes narrowed at his little brother. "What troubles you, little brother?"_

 _All was quiet for a while, and he questioned if Izuna had heard him. He only asked to humor his little brother, for he had a good idea what was causing him so much pain._

 _"She doesn't talk to me anymore." He looked at his little brother intently as a sad smile came to his face. "She sits in her room mostly. Only comes out with me if Hisen is training or if it's for food. She completely ignores me when I try to help her and get her to talk, and orders me away. I'm losing her."_

 _Had she not listened to a single word he had said? Did what he say go in one ear and out the other? It seemed to be the only plausible answer. She had not listened to him when he told her to not give into the depression and to stop the self-pity. She did the exact opposite of what he had said, and it was breaking his brother._

 _"There isn't anything you can do, Izuna. You know as well as I, she will get through it in the next few days or she's lost forever."_

 _"Thank you, for your comforting words. You're such a help." Izuna's sarcastic remark made his eyes narrow. "What did you want me to tell you? I'm not going to tell you to put your heart into it, because obviously she isn't putting hers in and she doesn't care. She's already breaking you, just as I said."_

 _The honest truth seemed to hurt Izuna, but he didn't care. He needed to get it through his head that the Anju he knew was not the same anymore. If she would return was not up to either of them, but up to the lady herself, and it was clear that she seemed at peace with her depressed state._

 _The news of her father and brothers deaths, that could have been overcome. But the news of not being a ninja ever again is what gnawed at her. Of course she would never admit it, but Madara knew that to be the reason behind her behavior. Her entire life she worked towards it, and it had been taken right out from under her. He wouldn't care, but she was taking Izuna out with her. That he couldn't have._

 _"Izuna-" The said male held his hand up. "Please, don't say it nii-san. You just don't understand. If I give up on her, who will be there for her? Who will love her and show her she's not alone? Not Hakuoh, she's grieving in her own way. And not Eiko – she's too busy with her family. And Hisen sleeps half the time and the other half, well it's not spent on her. I'm not giving up with her."_

 _"Why?" Finally, he asked. The question that had been at his mind for some time now, before Anju was injured. Why was Izuna so adamant about her? Why did he love her? Why did he stay by her side even when she showed no signs of returning the favor? "Just tell me why. Make me understand how breaking you heart is going to help her?"_

 _"Madara," Izuna lowered his eyes, "I can't make you understand this kind of love. I can't even put it into words." The smile that appeared on Izuna's face confused Madara. Even though he was hurting, Izuna wanted to love Anju and make sure she knew he was always there. But at what costs? At what costs of his own wellbeing would he go to?_

 _"I just don't understand, Izuna. You show her affection and tell her you love her, but she says or does nothing back at all. She is a lost cause!" Why couldn't his brother see that?_

 _Izuna smiled, a knowing and sad smile. "But Madara, wouldn't you do the same for me? Or would you just leave me?"_

No, he would not leave Izuna. Not ever. He would stay by his side through thick and thin and always be there for him, no matter what. Knowing that's how Izuna felt about Anju hurt him more.

He sighed and closed his eyes, his fingers placing themselves over her closed eyes and her forehead. If words would not work, then he'd have to try something else. All she would need was a little push into Izuna's arms and to realize that he was there for her. "Forgive me, Anju. I see no other way to bring you out of this." His mangekyou sharingan activated itself and he looked over her with sad eyes.

 **OoO**

 _She found herself falling, landing in a field of grass. She looked around, but found the field surrounded by trees. This looked to be the Uchiha Clan's training grounds. Why was she here?_

 _Then, she saw a younger version of Izuna, sitting on the ground under a tree crying. A younger version of herself stood beside him, a look of pain on her face. She only watched on as her younger version sat next to Izuna._

 _"Do you want to talk?"_

 _Izuna shook his head, folding his arms on his knees and resting his chin on top of them. He was so quiet compared to usual. She did not blame him, but how could she possibly understand how he felt? She had never lost anyone._

 _"I don't know what to feel," Izuna wiped his face with his sleeve, "a shinobi shouldn't show emotions, it's a weakness… but they were my little brothers. How could I not feel like this?"_

 _She looked down at the ground and then back at him. She clasped his hand in hers, "I don't think it makes you weak. By showing your emotions, I think it makes you stronger," she pried his arms from his face and smiled, "how many times have you comforted me now? Let me take some of your burden, Izuna. Let me burden some of your pain."_

 _His eyes widened with shock. "What? No! I couldn't let you. This is my pain to burden, not yours Anju."_

 _She sighed but the smile stayed as she held his hands in hers. "We're a team, remember? What you lack, I got. We balance each other out. Minor setback? We make a better comeback. Bad day? I will promise you a better night. I'll keep you motivated and at the top. As long as you love me and remain loyal, you don't ever have to doubt my loyalty and love for you. You got me, I got us, okay?"_

 _His eyes watered. "Anju…"_

 _As she smiled, he wrapped her up in his arms and cried. And she held him, unwavering. She was his rock, as always. He cried for his loss and he cried for the amazing friend he had. He let her take part of his burden._

 _The older version of herself watched on, her eyes lowering and softening as she watched the younger version of herself comfort Izuna. That day he let her take his burden of pain, and many days after that on countless occasions. She never once wavered and was always there to comfort him, even when he tried to push her away and let himself suffer. But she remained loyal to him and even when he ordered her to leave, she stayed._

 _This image disappeared and was replaced with a newer one – one from the other day. Izuna was trying to talk to her but she wouldn't listen._

 _"Why don't you just leave, Izuna?"_

 _The slightly older male folded his arms over his chest. "I love you. I'm not leaving."_

 _"Then I order you to leave and let me rot!" Her eyes bore into him with such anger and pain. All her emotions in one look. But he did not waver. Instead, he came over to her and slapped her across the face._

 _"That's enough!" She held her face, shocked. He had hit her. Her cheek burned and she was sure her face was reddening from the hit. She went to yell at him, but he was in front of her and holding her hands, a sad yet happy look on his face. He smiled at her. "You once asked if you could burden my pain, and even though I said no, you didn't give up on me. Now, let me burden your pain and your loss, Anju. Let me repay you."_

 _She looked away from him, her eyes closed, but he gripped her chin and made her look at him. "We're a team, remember? What you lack, I got. We balance each other out. Minor setback? We make a better comeback. Bad day? I will promise you a better night. I'll keep you motivated and at the top. As long as you love me and remain loyal, you don't ever have to doubt my loyalty and love for you. You got me, I got us, okay?"_

 _It was the exact same thing she had said to him. Her exact words used against her. She was stunned for a moment, but then huffed and turned away from him, ignoring him completely. "Go. Leave me be. Let me deal with this my own way."_

 _This image faded as well, until she was left in a dark space, left to her own thoughts. When she watched herself and how she behaved with Izuna, she felt guilty. He was only trying to help… but if he helped, he would only get dragged down with her. She didn't want that to happen._

 _"He only wants to be by your side and to love you, and to have those feelings reciprocated. Can't you see that?" She looked around for the voice, but it did not show itself._

 _"Who's there? What do you want?"_

 _Out of the darkness came a figure cloaked in black. They removed their hood, and she froze in her spot. Madara stood there, looking over her sadly. "You're only hurting him."_

 _"He's hurting himself. He won't leave."_

 _Madara raised a brow. "And you did not leave when he needed you. Even when he ordered you away, our stayed at his side and forced him into reason. Is he not trying to do the same for you?"_

 _She couldn't answer that, so she looked away. "He loves you. You love him as well, so why do you cower away in the face of love? Why is it?"_

 _When she looked up to give him an answer, he was gone. She searched around her but found no trace. "Madara?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _She closed her eyes, but when she reopened them, she found herself in the courtyard, a sword in hand. She was frozen in fear, because her blade was pierced through Izuna's heart and she could not move it. Tears flowed down her face as he looked at her with such betrayal. "Izuna!" She let go and he dropped to the ground. She took him in her lap and cupped his face. "No, don't leave me! Izuna! Please…"_

 _"But didn't you want him to leave?" In front of her, Madara stood, a solemn look on his face. "You've asked him to leave countless times with no regard to his feelings, and now you care? Now that he's dead, you care? Is that what it will take, Anju? This man, my brother, is at your feet with love that I could only wish for, and you reject him because of your own fears. Your fear of love."_

 _"No!" She placed her forehead against Izuna's and his lips began to move. "The fear of rejection."_

 _She stared down at his face, shocked. "No, stop it!"_

 _"The fear of change. The fear of letting someone else in and losing them. All of those are risks, aren't they? Your father knew that, your mother knew that, and your brother knew that as well!"_

 _Another sword went through Izuna's chest, followed by three more. More flashes of his death came and left in her vision as she held her head. All she could see was his death and the pain she caused him. She was the cause of his death. The sights were too much for her to bare and she screamed._

She shot up from her bed, shaking and sweating and having difficulty breathing. Her eyes searched for Izuna. Usually he slept on the futon in the corner, but he was not there. Fear from her nightmare remained, and she was afraid the worst had actually happened.

For the first time since she woke, she ran. She ran through the hall and into the kitchen, but Izuna was not there. She tried to feel his chakra, but she felt nothing. She ran through her home, but he was nowhere to be found. In her haste, she ran outside to the veranda, and there she found him in the courtyard.

Whatever reason he had, he was throwing shuriken and kunai in the drizzle. So much anger and grief rested on his face, and she knew she was the cause of it. Only one thought went through her head as she ran for him – she loved him. She loved him and she was pushing him away, and that was hurting him, and deep down, it hurt her too. It took that terrible nightmare for her to realize that.

She stopped a few feet away, her chest burning painfully and her vision blurry. "Izuna!"

He turned towards her, obviously surprised by her presence outside. "Anju! You shouldn't be out here!"

She didn't listen to him. Instead she walked towards him and hugged him hard. She said nothing and just hugged him. Eventually, he hugged her back. They just stood there, getting wet from the rain. She didn't mind and she was sure he didn't either.

It was hard to admit, but Madara was right. He was so very right. He was right the other day when he brought her in from the storm, and in her nightmare, though he wasn't real, he was right as well. She pressed her face into his chest and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Izuna pulled her face away from his chest, quizzically watching her. "Did you put something in my food or ruin my sword? What's wrong?"

"How I've been treating you. It's not right. I was always there for you, even when you didn't want me to be. Now that I'm in this position, you are trying to do the same for me, but I won't let you. I'm making you suffer and it's wrong."

Izuna's eyebrow rose. "Slow down there. Let get inside. You're burning up."

She shook her head. "No! If I don't say this now, I won't be able to say it ever!"

"You'll die out here! Now come on!" He didn't let her talk, and instead dragged her inside to her room and gave her a dry sleeping yukata. He changed into a pair of dry pants and shirt, and joined her on the bed, with a wet towel that he placed on her forehead.

"Now what's going on? Start from the beginning."

She looked away, to the corner where the staff lay. "I saw you die," she looked back at him, "and I was the one who did it. Over and over again I watched, and I…" He placed his hand over hers and smiled. "It's okay. It was all just a dream. I'm here and I'm alive."

"That's not all, Izuna," it was hard for her to say all of this, but she had to, for his sake. "My true feelings have been clouded by the loss of my brother and father, but more importantly," she closed her eyes, as it pained her to say her next words, "I've been clouded by the loss of my power as a shinobi. It hurts to admit it, but that hurts worst above all."

He softened his gaze on her. "Anju-"

"I'm not finished," she wrapped her arms around him again, making sure he was actually there, "I should never have been so hard on you. All you've wanted to do is help me and all I've wanted to just rot, because I'm afraid of this kind of love. I'm afraid of rejection. I'm afraid of the change loving you will bring, and I'm afraid of losing you."

This was the right thing to do. It felt right. "I already know what you're going to say, and I know, my fears are foolish, but I can't help it. But, I can help myself get over such fears. So, what I'm really trying to say is…"

"What are you getting at?" Izuna held her face between his hands. She placed her hands on his and smiled. Yes, this was the right thing to do. For the first time in a long time, something felt right. "I'm saying that we're a team. What you lack I got, remember?"

He smiled back at her. "You got me, and I got us."

"Exactly. From here on out, we're that team, but with one little change."

The smiled on his face faded. "What is it?"

"I'd like to agree to be your partner."

A puzzled look crossed his face. "But weren't we already?"

She sighed. Of course he had to ruin the moment. "I meant agreeing to the courtship. You know, be-"

She wasn't allowed to answer. Instead, she closed her eyes as Izuna placed his lips over hers, kissing her sweetly. He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. "What happened to you?"

With a smile on her face and a small blush, she looked at him. "I got a wakeup call from an unexpected person is all."


	13. Chapter 13: Distrust

**Well, this is more of a filler chapter. That's just a warning, so you have been warned.**

 **Anyways, thank you to all of those that have reviewed/followed/favorited this story, it means a lot! Keep it coming!**

 **OoO**

"Is this all that came with the messenger?"

A man nodded to Madara, who held a messenger pigeon in his hands as well as a note. "Wake those on the council. I'll go wake Izuna. We meet in five." The man gave another nod and was gone in a flash. Left to himself, Madara sighed as he reread the note. It was about time.

He jumped down from the tower, skillfully landing on his feet and ran to Izuna's location. Now that Anju had confirmed the courtship, Izuna was practically living with her. Of course he had been living with her before, but now he at least left the premise to come see Madara, or Madara went to see his little brother.

Now that he had pushed Anju towards Izuna and confirmed this courtship, he would have to live with the fact that Anju was going to be around him more and more. Going to her home was a way of accustoming himself to her presence. Just sitting around her pissed him off. But, he did get some sort of satisfaction when he saw Izuna smiling. Izuna was happy and that's what mattered, and that's what got him through his anger.

He arrived at her home, where he thought all would be asleep. From the shadows, he watched as Anju stood a few feet away from some targets, a kunai and shuriken pouch on each of her thighs. What was that woman thinking?

Although he knew she wasn't supposed to be doing something like this, he watched her instead of stopping her. His eyes narrowed as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a set of shuriken. Her arm went back and she threw the pieces of metal at the target, though she missed the vital spots. A deep sigh escaped her lips and she fell to the ground on her backside. "It's no use."

He tilted his head, watching her with a furrowed brow. He could feel her sadness from where he stood it was that bad. Here he had thought she had gotten over it, but it was all a front. She was still that lost and pained woman whom he had dragged out of the rain.

Not really trying, he quietly made his way over to her and stood about two feet behind her. He drew two shuriken from a pouch on his side and tossed them effortlessly towards the target, hitting the bullseye. "It's all about your wrist."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him with narrowed eyes. "What are you doing here?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "Showing you how to throw a shuriken before you hurt yourself."

A vein popped in her forehead. "I know how to throw shuriken!"

His eyes moved to her right shoulder. He wouldn't be surprised if that still hurt. He also wouldn't be surprised if that wound to her shoulder was causing her some trouble. If she didn't have full rotation in that shoulder, it was going to affect her throw. He placed a hand on her shoulder, moving away the fabric surrounding it to look at the pink flesh.

"Get off me! What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

He shook his head and began to walk away. "I suggest doing some exercises to work that shoulder of yours before you try that again. I also suggest doing some exercise to build your body back up."

"Wait, what?" He stopped and turned his head towards her to look at that puzzled expression on her face. "You have to walk before you can run, Anju."

 **OoO**

"Do you have everything you need?"

"Hai, I got everything. Wait!"

With a sigh, Anju watched as Izuna looked around for his kunai pouch, which she held in her hands. "Over here, Izuna."

The man calmed and smiled at her. He took the pouch from her hands and motioned for her to walk with him as he departed. She obliged, linking her arm through his and following his lead. It was finally time for the induction of the clan heads.

Their fellow clansmen gathered near the entrance of the clan, both shinobi and civilians alike. This was the time for goodbyes. Battle was imminent. The Uchiha had been hired by a daimyo in the land of fire to fight against a rival, who had hired the Senju. This was what they had been waiting for, and the wait had not been long. Those who were still recovering from the last battle would stay behind to protect the clan, while those who were in good shape would head out with Madara, Izuna, Tajima, and two of the clan elders.

"It's strange, not going with you this time." Anju spoke as they approached the entrance, looking around as children and wives said their goodbyes to their husbands. Women also said goodbye to their children, though they were few. It was so uncommon in the Uchiha for a woman to possess such strong chakra, but there a few stood. Now, she was no longer among them.

A hand placed itself on her head, and Izuna smiled. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about." Izuna's eyes shifted and Anju followed his gaze to her little brother. Yes, she worried about that too. Every day Hisen grew stronger, so did the beast. She trusted Hisen, but she did not trust that thing. She understood Izuna's concern, but despite her distrust of the creature, she knew if it had wanted to bring harm to any of them, it would have already done so.

"I'll watch him. He listens to me."

Her answer made Izuna sigh. "Hisen listens to you – that thing doesn't. Just… just be careful, okay? It's only been two weeks."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I get the idea. Just give the Senju a present from me, alright?"

With a chuckle, he stopped next to his brother and hugged her. She hugged him back and kissed his cheek as he stood straight. Her eyes wandered to Madara, who was as stoic as ever. He merely looked at her, gave her a nod, and turned back to his father, as if he hadn't caught her doing what she shouldn't be last night. She wondered if he would say anything and hoped he wouldn't. She didn't want to worry Izuna.

A hand tugged at her chin and she was met with Izuna's worried gaze. "Don't worry about him. He's happy, he just doesn't show it."

"I'm not worried about him, I'm worried about you. I'm not there to save your ass anymore."

"If I remember correctly," he grinned, "I was the one doing all the ass saving last time we fought together. You almost got yourself killed."

With a playful shove she smiled. "You're a jerk, Izuna."

He buried his face in her neck and hugged her once more. "There she is. There's the woman I love. Just remember I'm your jerk."

"Don't remind me." She was shushed as he put his lips against hers, in a first public display of affection. It caught her off guard but she kissed him back nonetheless.

When they pulled away from each other, Izuna gave her a bow and joined his father's side. With a smile on her face, she joined Hisen. Eiko was a bit busy saying goodbye to her husband and rounding up her rowdy child. Despite his injuries, Kizuna was heading out with them. Before, she couldn't have understood what Eiko felt, but now, she understood perfectly. Even though all were being reassured their loved ones would return, there was no guarantee. It was a sick feeling.

Hisen leaned against her, looking down at the ground. She could feel the power running through his veins with just this touch. To believe he would only get stronger from here on out. "Hisen, why aren't you going with them?"

The tired male glanced over towards Madara as he spoke. "He thinks I'm a ticking time bomb, and then he said something about not wanting the enemy to know about Kouzai and I."

"He said it by name?"

Hisen nodded against her shoulder. "Hai. He has great respect for Kouzai."

Of course he did. He could respect a beast, but he couldn't respect her. She would never have that man's respect. Ever. That said man began walking in her direction, and stopped in front of her and Hisen.

"I'm here to ask something of you, Anju." Madara spoke to her in his usual emotionless tone. He sure hadn't changed. "And that is what, Madara-sama?"

He took her hand and from his pocket he pulled out a scroll, which he placed in her hand. "This is what Hisen is to learn next. I'm entrusting it to you."

Her eyebrows rose at his request. "Madara-sama, I can't train."

"Then observe and instruct. Do not let up on him."

She looked between the scroll and Madara. This was strange. Why in the hell would he let her instruct Hisen? Yes, she was Hisen's sister, but there were others he would usually ask before her. How strange.

"I'm doing this at Izuna's request, to keep you out of trouble. I would have preferred Yuuta."

And there he was. She lowered her gaze and nodded. "Hai, Madara-sama."

A hand gripped her chin and she was met with the eyes of Madara. She tried to pull her face away but he wasn't having it. He looked around them and then leaned in next to her ear. "Follow me. I want to talk to you, privately. It's about Izuna."

It looked suspicious – her following him so they were out of earshot of others. Everyone looked at them, puzzled as they stood under a tree facing each other. Anju herself was puzzled as well and waited for him to speak. What could he possibly have to say to her? She could only speculate.

"First off, I don't like you and you don't like me. Our clan knows that, Izuna knows that, and we know that. It's a fact. However, we have one common interest." She followed his gaze to Izuna, who stood next to Hisen, watching her and Madara intently.

"Alright, where are you going with this?"

"Izuna's happiness is absolute. I strive to keep him happy. And as much as I hate you, you are what keeps him happy. If it were up to me, I would have you thrown away from my brother, but it would break his heart and he would hate me. He would hate me more if I told him his beloved was training with shuriken and kunai and I did nothing to stop her."

She folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you want, Madara-sama?"

He smirked. "Nothing. Just know that if you break his heart, I will break your neck with a smile on my face." And she knew he wasn't joking. He was dead serious. "I should have stopped you last night when I saw you trying to train, but I'm stopping you now. You mean everything to Izuna and if you happen to harm yourself while training or worse, it will break him. I don't want to return and discover that you are wounded or dead because you couldn't follow a simple rule. Do you understand?"

Her eyes wandered to Izuna. "Hai. I understand. As long as you don't tell him about last night."

"Then we do have an understanding." He held his hand out. She looked at it as if it were a foreign object she had never before seen. Hesitantly, she gripped his gloved hand and shook on the deal. "And remember," he put his face next to ear, "if you break this promise, I will know."

He let go of her hand, and with him at her side, they walked back to the gathering of the clan as their warriors departed. With one last glance at each other, Madara walked away and Izuna took his place, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What was that about?" She debated on telling him what had been said, but in the end decided against it and rolled her eyes. "Madara being Madara. It was nothing."

"If you say so. Just let me know if he's being harsh, alright?"

With a smile, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. I'll be alright. Just worry about yourself and returning so we can celebrate my birthday."

As if a lightbulb had gone off in his head, he grinned and pulled something out of his pocket. "Oh that's right! It would have been sad to leave without giving you your birthday present!" She chuckled as he did a pat down on himself and finally reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box wrapped in a white ribbon. "Open it. I hope you like it." She untied the white bow and it fell to the ground. He closed a single eye as she took the top off and looked into the small box.

"Izuna…" She was lost for words. She took the piece out and looked at it with awe. It was a beautiful kanzashi. White, velvety cherry blossoms with pink centers. Some were in full bloom and others were still closed or close to blooming. The long stems attached to a black pin, and she felt it too beautiful to wear. She didn't know what to say.

Izuna stepped forward and took the piece from her hands. "It was my Okāsan's," he placed a hand on her cheek and put it through the hair-tie of her thick ponytail and smiled, "it looks good on you, birthday girl."

She gently touched the piece. It was definitely not meant for a shinobi to wear, but a princess. Deep inside, her heart broke, but she didn't let it show. Is that how he thought of her now? A princess? Despite the joy and honor she felt for receiving something that belonged to his mother, she felt hurt. He no longer thought of her as a shinobi. However, she could not hurt his feelings. She wouldn't be able to live with herself. Instead, she placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his other. "Thank you, Izuna. I love it."

He grinned and gave her a quick peck on the lips and then her forehead. Then, he turned to Hisen in a more serious note. "Take care of her, and try to better control your power, please."

With that, he left. He led the troops next to Madara and his father, moving quickly. She yearned to go with them but knew it wouldn't be possible. For once, she wasn't taking on a mission or fending off the Senju. Instead, she watched others leave with pain in her heart.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up at Hisen, who smiled lightly. "I can't wait to show you what I've been working on!"

 **OoO**

That night, under the cover of darkness, Hisen snuck out of the estate and made sure no one saw him as he headed for the training grounds. He was not supposed to train alone, but he was an adult and a full-fledged ninja and was capable of taking care of himself.

 _"I'm against this_."

"Then stop me. You know you can."

He heard the beast sigh. _"I am not responsible if you cannot handle my cloak. You may get out of control temporarily but it is normal."_

Hisen was excited. Madara believed that he was not ready to return to the battlefield but he would prove him wrong when he returned. He would show Madara that he could use Kouzai's chakra cloak, and, if permitted in this limited time, show Madara that he could summon his beast. Maybe then he would be allowed back onto the field. However, he knew it wasn't Madara who needed the convincing. Madara had his faith in Kouzai and showed no fear when he spoke to the beast. It was Izuna who had a problem.

It was Izuna who didn't want him staying behind with Anju. It was Izuna who didn't trust him. It was Izuna who wanted to put the beast under the control of the sharingan. Izuna was too concerned with Anju's safety and too afraid of what lay inside of him because of her weakened state. He would never harm Anju, and he would never let Kouzai hurt her – _never_. Izuna was afraid because of love and what he didn't understand. He would show him he meant no harm.

He paused as he landed in the field that was the Uchiha training grounds. Now was the time. He stood still and closed his eyes, letting Kouzai's chakra flow through him and combine with his own. He performed the signs that Kouzai had made him memorize, and his eyes shot open and he fell to his knees, holding his stomach as the pain ripped through him.

 _"It will pass, young one. Give it time."_

For a few minutes, Hisen calmed from the pain, and when he was able, he stood and looked down at his hands. Nothing had changed. "Where's your cloak?"

 _"Chakra had to be combined first. Now you may use my cloak, among other things, when you are ready."_

He sighed. "Remind me again why I can't use all your power?"

 _"My power is not meant for a human. You must be gradually introduced to my power. If I were to give it to you freely and immediately, you would die from the surge of chakra. It has happened before. This combination of chakra helps."_

With a smile, Hisen shed his dark blue cloak and threw it onto the ground. He was not supposed to train unsupervised, but technically he wasn't – he had Kouzai as a supervisor and to instruct him on what to do.

 _"When we develop a stronger bond, this will become easier and we will be able to go longer."_ As Kouzai said that, Hisen watched dark blue markings appear on his skin and a white cloak of chakra appeared around him. Out of curiosity, he created a clone, and watched the transformation take place.

A full, dark blue glowing circle rested on his forehead and went around his face, going under his eyes and neck in wavy, dark blue lines that had the same glow. They connected to full circles on each shoulder, then hands, chest, and stomach. From there, the strange glowing blue designs made strange, unconnected patterns across his skin and even onto his clothing. Besides these strange designs, the only other physical change he had were longer, sharper canines and the amethyst eyes of Kouzai.

"What can I do in this form?"

His head was quiet for a moment, which was unusual. Usually Kouzai was quick to answer him. _"Have you ever encountered a tailed-beast, Hisen?"_

"I thought you weren't a tailed-beast?"

 _"That's not my point. Answer the question."_

Hisen shook his head. "No, I have not."

 _"For now, we will try ninjutsu and taijutsu in this form. You aren't ready for what it allows you to really do."_

"Oh come on! I can handle it! I'm not a child, Kouzai."

 _"You will regret it, young one."_

 **OoO**

Never had fear struck her as hard as it did when she saw Hisen in that form. She stood next to a tree, frozen as she watched him take on the cloak. It was powerful and beautiful. Flowing white chakra with glowing blue markings on his skin and three tails tipped in that beautiful glowing blue color, and they too had those beautiful markings, though they only covered the first quarter of the tails. Even though she was fearful, she was in awe of its beauty.

She came out here only to find out what he was up to. She couldn't have imagined _this_ was what he was up to. Did Madara and Izuna know he was capable of this form? No. If they had, they sure would have taken him with them. He was moving so much faster, and she could not keep up. He defeated each of his clones with ease, and then his ninjutsu – it was so much stronger and larger.

A gust of wind came by her, though it was not natural. It knocked her staff out of her hand and onto the ground, and that sound caught the attention of Hisen. He looked in her direction and smiled. "Nēchan! Amazing, isn't it?"

She only nodded, carefully watching those tails. They made her uneasy and made her think of when the Uchiha fought against the two-tails. They had won, but the beast and its jinchūriki escaped. For that reason, most considered it a defeat. The destruction it had caused was unlike any other. It was for that reason she feared this beast.

Hisen turned towards her and walked closer, concerned. "Is something wrong, Nēchan?"

She shook her head. "No. Just continue."

As she grabbed the staff and turned around, she felt herself trip and she prepared for impact, one of the tails appeared blew her and wrapped around her body. It brought her closer to Hisen and placed her back on her feet. He chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "He doesn't want you to be afraid. He doesn't want to hurt you or for you to get hurt. He wants you to get better."

It could hear her thoughts? Impossible! "I should be going. I can't-" She was shushed by the tail wrapping itself around her face and quieting her. She could only widen her eyes in fear. She wanted it to let go. It didn't.

She tried to remain calm. "Hisen…stop…"

Hisen shook his head. "No, you need to understand that he won't hurt you. Please, Nēchan."

She felt like she was suffocating, and it wasn't from the tail – it was from the fear and the walk that brought her here. Her chest hurt and so did her head, and now her fear of this beast was getting the better of her. "Hisen, I'm asking you one last time. Please let me go."

Slowly, the tail unwound itself from her body and the chakra cloak disappeared. All that remained was Hisen, in his normal, nonthreatening form. "Nēchan, I just want you to not be afraid of him, of us. You are my sister, and you have sway over Izuna-sama. Please, listen to us."

She gave him a cautious look. This was her little brother, but at the same time it was not. Could she really trust the thing inside him? Could she put aside the fear and hate she held for tailed-beasts to learn more about the thing in Hisen? For his sake?


	14. Chapter 14: Fluffy Death

**Lately I've been having a need to play video games and I haven't been able to concentrate because of it, until today. So that is why this is late. Blame PS4 and Xbox.**

 **Any who, thank you to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story, and it is also on wattpad! Here's Chapter 16! I personally can't wait to write the next one - great plans for it!**

 **OoO**

They stood on higher ground, overlooking what would soon be their battlefield. With their sharingan's, the legendary Uchiha brothers could see the chakra signatures of their enemies in the distance. The had a good ten minutes of waiting, unless it was decided that they would rush the Senju instead.

The brothers looked at each other, their arms crossed over their chests and the wind blowing their hair out of their faces. Both had similar red markings on their faces from their initiation as the clan's heads. It was the blood of the previous clan leader, their father Tajima. Three red tomoes were placed center on their foreheads, and then three lines above the left eyebrow, two across the right cheek, and a single line stemming from the bottom lip down the chin and neck.

Behind the two newly appointed heads, their warriors kneeled in respect to their new clan heads, with some staring at the Uchiha Clan symbol that was painted on the rock the leaders stood on. None disagreed to the new authority, and most thought it a welcome change of pace. They now had a fully capable leader and who were the strongest the Uchiha had ever seen. It amplified the warrior's morale and gave them a greater sense of victory, even though the battle had not yet taken place.

"Return the Elders to the safety of the clan boundaries. We'll take it from here."

"The Elders must-"

Madara turned his head towards Elder Ryoichi, who immediately ceased speaking as Madara's dangerous gaze lay upon him. "You are not in charge, Elder Ryoichi. You will do as you are told and return to the village. I will not be responsible for you out here, and neither will my warriors. They have more important matters to attend to than babysitting you lot."

The harsh words hit the three elders like a winter storm, chilling them to the bone. They dare not challenge the new clan heads words out of fear of the power he possessed. He was not like Tajima. They knew Madara would not listen to their words or fall to their influence.

With a nudge from a group of five, the Elders wee led away from the team with some resistance, mostly from Ryoichi. Never had he been spoken to in such a manner, especially by a young brat like Madara. He was too young for leadership, much like Tajima had been. Madara was still a boy and needed the guidance they had to offer, but he showed no signs of wanting it. Ryoichi would make him see he needed the help of the Elders, for he feared that if Madara saw no need for them, he would dispose of them. And he knew Madara would.

When they were out of his sight, Madara fully turned to his warriors, looking at each individual as they raised their heads to look at him. He looked to his younger brother, who solemnly looked over the men and then to Madara. Cold and lacking feeling did not fit Izuna, for it made him look quite menacing and not the cute little brother he was so use to. However, he found it quite fitting for this situation. Maybe now Izuna would help Madara take on these tedious responsibilities as clan head and leader, and remember that the clan always comes first, not his love for Anju.

The image of the young woman flooded into his mind, and then the dreams he had witnessed her having that seemed more like forgotten memories rather than a fantasy she her mind had made up. Anger flooded through his veins as he thought of her and of the blonde that had nearly killed her. He would murder that boy, for her. He shocked himself with the thought and was quick to dismiss such a thing. He would kill that boy, for Izuna and Anju. It would be his present to them.

"They grow closer. Shall we move, Madara-sama?" From the back, Kizuna stood and awaited Madara to answer him.

Madara looked him over. His wounds were still pink and some covered by bandages, as Kizuna was not one to heal so quickly and easily like himself. Yet, he stood before him loyal to a fault as always. He had been like this ever since they were children. "Things are going to change, starting now my fellow clansmen! It's time for a new change, a new era for the Uchiha!"

Each Uchiha warrior stood and placed their right hand over their chest in an act of respect and loyalty to their new leaders. Cheers and shouts sounded through the air as Madara held his arms out in front of him, palm side up. "No longer will we be pushed are by these Senju of the Forest. No longer will we be second guessed by our enemies and some allies. We will emerge victorious in this battle, and in more battles to come! We will show this world that the Uchiha are the real power!"

Madara lowered his arms back to his sides, with one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He looked down at his little brother, as he stood on lower ground than he but higher ground than the rest. His expression lightened and he smiled slightly, looking out at the men as Madara had just done.

Izuna held his head high as he spoke. "Uchiha Kizuna, it is will great pleasure that I appoint you onto our new council and ask you to join us in leading our warriors into battle, and give you the title of general."

The wind blew Kizuna's chin length hair out of his face, allowing the scar that ran across his face to become fully visible. With a confident stride, he hopped up next to Izuna and looked over the battlefield. "I thank you, Madara-sama, Izuna-sama. With your permission, I would like to lead a few out into the field to prepare while we still have time."

With a quick nod, Madara answered him silently and Kizuna left with the warriors he needed. Madara would only wait a few more minutes before heading out after Kizuna and make his advance towards the Senju. In his first battle as clan leader, he would not lose. Failure was not an option.

 **OoO**

"Too slow." _Thump._

"Too sloppy." _Clank_.

"Boy, you act like you've never fought before!"

A kunai was sheathed into the trunk of tree, just centimeters away from the top of Yuuta's head. He remained unfazed and continued to watched a panting Hisen in his chakra cloak. Next to Yuuta, Anju sat on the ground looking over scrolls he could not read and others she would not let him see. She was content in that little world of reading of hers. But, the young woman looked up and towards Hisen, and then she sighed. "You are supposed to work with Kouzai. If you don't get it down this time around, you will sit and mediate."

The young boy through his hands up in the air and the three tails he had moved around wildly in his frustration. "That doesn't help! What I need is something to eat and a break! We've been at this for hours!"

Yuuta sighed as Hisen whined for the umpteenth time that afternoon. He would not let up on Hisen, no matter what. Madara would not let up on him, and neither would Izuna. The harder they pushed him, the more inclined he would be to ask for the beasts help. The only worry had, along with Anju, was how much Hisen could take before he broke.

A vein popped on Anju's forehead, and Yuuta watched as she angrily stood and walked in a fast pace towards her little brother, her long white kimono with a blue pattern nipping at her heals. It surprised Yuuta that she would approach Hisen in this form, for he could feel the fear radiating from her body and see her visible shaking as she stood in front of Hisen and placed a scroll in his hands. Her hand pushed through the cloak, enveloping it in a tingling heat that made her arm feel numb.

"I think this will help." With a curt nod, she pulled her hand away from Hisen, but before she left one of the tails stroked her throat and a low, throaty sound made its way from Hisen, though he did not seem to be aware of it.

She held her breath until it left her skin and then made her escape back to Yuuta, who placed a hand on her lower back to support her as she stood next to him. "What did you give him?"

"All I know is that it's a summoning jutsu. For what, I do not know."

Out of earshot but not out of sight, Hisen sat on the damp ground and lay the scroll out in front of him. What was he to do with this? He could not understand anything in this scroll, except for one word – summoning. "She's insane. She wants me to use this without understanding it? She's insane!"

 _"You said that twice, young one. But I know this scroll, though I can't remember what it does. Try it and find out."_

"This is going to be a disaster. Since when do things like this ever go right?"

 _"Never."_

"Thank you for lowering my confidence in this."

A low chuckle sounded in his head, but he ignored it. With reluctance, he bit his thumb, the blood running down his palm and into the sleeve of his shirt. He read the hand signs on the scroll, performed them, and slammed his palm down onto the scroll.

There was tug inside of him, and then a snap that made him gasp at the sharp, indescribable pain in his side. A puff of smoke appeared where his hand was and he pulled it back. When the smoke cleared, a large sweat drop appeared on the side of his head. "You have got to be kidding me."

Before him sat a little puppy. It stared at him with glowing amethyst eyes that were surrounded by black sclera. A pair of catfish-like whiskers hung from its black armor plated muzzle that crinkled as it looked at Hisen. Long canines like that of a sabretooth cat, only shorter, stuck out from its lips and were blindingly white. Then, there was laughter.

Hisen looked over to his sister, who was holding her stomach as she laughed. "Watch out! It's going to kill us with its fluffiness!"

The puppy's ears flattened against its head as it looked towards his sister. With its head turned, Hisen cringed as he caught sight of two more eyes on the left side of its face, though they appeared to be sewed shut. "I am not cute!"

Now it was Hisen's turn to laugh. He fell on his back and entered into a fit. It was so small and cute, but it held the same voice as Kouzai. The same deep, low voice the boomed in the abyss. It was just too funny to not laugh.

A flash of white appeared above Hisen and he was pinned down by two large white paws. His laughter ceased as his nose touched the wet black nose of the puppy, or what use to be the puppy. It was now the size of a large dog. Hisen shrunk back, rubbing his neck nervously. "Sorry. Not funny."

The amethyst eyes narrowed at him, but the set of ears flicked up and the large canine got off of Hisen. When he sat up, it reverted back to its puppy size, watching him expectantly. "What are you?"

"What do I look like to you, young one?"

As the puppy called him that, Hisen froze. He had summoned the beast inside of him, or at least a part of it. How was that even possible. He reached out and placed a hand on its head, rubbing softly. "What are you?"

"I am Kouzai, or this is a small part of me at least. You summoned me?"

Hisen didn't know what to say. Instead, his chakra cloak disappeared and he picked up the small ball of white fur, carrying it over to Yuuta and his sister along with the scroll. She stopped laughing as he dropped the ball of fur in her lap and smiled. "Anju, meet Kouzai. Kouzai, this is my sister Anju."

Anju titled her head to the side. Just a moment ago it had turned into a large dog but it had chosen to revert back to this form. How odd. The fluffy thing looked up at her with innocent eyes. "I thought this from would be less menacing."

This was what she had been afraid of? A white fluffy cloud with fangs? It was comical.

"You prefer this over your true form?"

"I prefer which ever one gains your trust more. Hisen cannot concentrate because he fears that you will leave him because you fear me."

She looked up at her little brother and back at the small ball of fur in her lap and back at Hisen again. "Is what it says true, little brother?"

Hisen glanced downwards toward his feet. "I don't want to lose you because you think I'm going to hurt you. I just wish you'd understand it won't hurt you or anyone else in the clan for that matter."

As Hisen spoke, she found herself rubbing the pups ears and scratching its head, all negative thoughts blown from her head by some sort of wind it seemed. It was like a fluffy white ball of positive feelings and warmth that could possibly rip her face off at any second. Cute, but deadly.

For Hisen. She would do this for Hisen.

"I want to see your true form. Then, I will decide if I am still afraid."

In that moment, she was sucked into some black space with no end and no beginning. She was fearful until she felt the warmth of the little ball of fear in her arms. It looked up and she followed its gaze to a pair of large amethyst eyes with slit pupils. In the darkness, blue designs began to glow in the abyss, mapping out the creature's body and size.

"You stand up to the great Uchiha Madara, but you fear the likes of me? I'm almost flattered."

She set the pup down and walked towards the beautiful pair of eyes before her. Every fear she had she had overcome some way, except those involving the demon spawn of hell and losing her brother. This was something she would have to conquer, for her brother.

"You fear me because you do not understand what I am. You hate me because you do not know me, much like you do with Madara."

Her eyes narrowed as they circled each other, with her becoming braver by the second. "I see you share Aito's views. What next? Going to tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing?"

It chuckled and stuck its snout out of the abyss, revealing the same features as the pup, only larger and more prominent. The difference it seemed was next to the large, long whiskers was another pair, though they were much shorter in comparison. "There is the woman Aito told me so much about. He said you were quite feisty and brave, never holding anything back."

The muzzle of the beast was pulled back into the shadows and a loud growl sounded as the blue marks glowed brighter and moved up into the tails of the creature. "Tell me, little one," the stitches around the other two pairs of eyes glowed blue as well, "are you still afraid?"

She had never imagined… She couldn't have ever… As she gazed upon the flowing marks in the dark, she realized it wasn't Kouzai she was afraid of, but rather what he was capable of. It was the power that swirled around her in the darkness that frightened her, and it was only getting stronger. "I'm not afraid of you, not anymore. I'm afraid Hisen will lose control and do something he will regret."

"That is why I am only allowing him to learn one small thing at a time. If he were to rush into my power, he could very well die. I am not meant for mortals."

"Than what are you meant for?"

He chuckled, blowing hot, wet air onto her face as he did so. "That would be telling, now wouldn't it? You will figure it out, little one. In the meantime," with a large paw, it pushed the fluffy cloud towards her, "keep this part of me. If he disappears, Hisen can summon him again. He is meant to look after those close to my host."

She bent down and picked the ball of fur up. "I have Izuna for protection."

Its eyes narrowed. "That you do, but keep it. It you have no more use for it, simply perform the seals on the scroll to send him back to me."

They had a long stare down. She was no longer fearful of the beast, but she still held fear for the power it possessed. And if Hisen possessed too much power at once, he would die. Hisen's life was in the hands of this beast.

"Can I count on you to keep him safe, Kouzai? Can I count on you to protect my little brother my clan now that I cannot?"

"You have my word, Uchiha Anju."

Anju stuck her hand out to meet the nose of Kouzai. "Then I suppose I can trust you." As she touched it's wet nose to seal the promise, she found herself back in her own body and her own world, the little ball of fluff in her arms looking at her with happiness. She looked up or Hisen, but found he was training with Hisen in his chakra cloak. How long had she been gone? It seemed to not matter.

A scree came from the air, followed by a flash of brown as Ren and Ken landed on the ground next to Anju. She stroked the heads of the two large golden eagles as they looked down at the fluffy cloud in her arms. "Izuna is not going to like this."


	15. Chapter 15: Understanding Part I

**So, I had something else planned for this chapter, but I decided instead to split into either two or three parts, after I realized there was something I didn't finish covering. I currently have a list (finally) so things are now easier. It will be the next two parts, or maybe three. that I will be looking forward to, and I hope you do as well!**

 **Also, thank you to those of you who have followed/favorited and reviewed this story, and I hope you continue to do so! Enjoy!**

 **OoO**

A loud scree pierced through the air, causing the men below to look up as they were circled by a large bird. Izuna recognized the bird as one of Anju's, though he was unsure of which. He held his arm out, hoping the large bird of prey would take his perch on his arm for once, but it instead went and landed into a nearby tree. He sighed. The day those birds came to him would be a wonderful day indeed.

"Don't know how to handle a bird of prey, little brother?"

Izuna looked at Madara, who like Izuna, was covered in blood from a successful win. He rolled his eyes and pointed towards the large bird. "They come to no one but Anju, and Ken only goes to Hisen on occasion. You think you can get this one to come to you, a person Anju hates?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, Madara held his gloved hand up in the air and whistled. The large bird looked down at him and then went back to cleaning its feathers. Izuna chuckled and patted him on the back. "Just because you use to have a falcon doesn't mean he'll come to you, but nice try nii-san."

In another attempt, Madara shook his hand and whistled in a different tone. This time, the eagle flapped its wings, flew down from its perch, and Madara had to duck down to avoid the birds sharp talons. "The fuck?"

Izuna laughed. "I told you nii-san, they don't like anyone but Anju." A 'hmph' came from Madara, and they continued on their way.

Other warriors of the Uchiha Clan greeted those returning from battle, along with the wives and families of those who had left for battle. This battle had been more than just a success – it was a victory for the ages. Barely any of the warriors were seriously injured or injured at all, and they had made the Senju they had not killed run for the hills. However, they were not out of the woods yet.

Madara grabbed Izuna as he left to go find Anju. "We still have an important matter to attend to. Anju will have to wait."

Reluctantly, Izuna nodded his head and followed Madara, along with Kizuna and his father, to the council hall. They were the only people in the large room, and they all took their seats around the council table.

"I will get straight to the point," Madara did not sit with his brother and other members of the council, and instead stood by a candle with a flickering flame, "the Hagoromo Clan has gone too long without being dealt with. They knew Aito held the beast, and they have to know now that a member of our clan is now its jinchūriki."

"But are we certain of this? They may think it died with Aito, or that he did not make it here at all, given his injuries."

Madara looked to Kizuna as he spoke. "I am not going to take any chances. We are much stronger than those of the Hagoromo, but there is no telling what measures they are willing to take now that we are in possession of what use to belong to them."

Kizuna nodded. "What is your plan of action, Madara-sama?"

Madara passed his hand through the candle flame, playing a game of cat and mouse with the skin of his hand. "While we were away, the Hagoromo sent us a letter asking for a meeting between our clan leaders. I have already confirmed this meeting. It is there it will be decided whether the Hagoromo are still allies, or," Madara pinched the flame out, burning the tips of his fingers, "if they too must be exterminated."

"Exterminated? Madara-sama, that-"

Madara's gaze landed on Kizuna, who's eyes were wide in surprise. "That is something we've done before. When the Muto dared to strike against us, we annihilated them and burnt their home to the ground. When the Yoshida thought it wise to go against our orders and not bring in their shipments, did we not exterminate them just a few weeks ago?"

At Madara's words, Kizuna looked away and nodded his head. He was right. Extermination and annihilation was something the Uchiha did quite well. When allied clans went against them, they made damn sure not one of the members spoke again, no matter their age or gender. The same went for non-allied clans. Madara had been part of wiping out six clans, and never once was one living thing left breathing. The same would go for the Hagoromo.

Izuna stood up and joined his brother. "If the Hagoromo mean to bring harm to the clan, then they must be dealt with. We only know them for their healing powers, but if they are willing to come here for kill Aito and his family as they did, and if Aito said they would come to us, then they must have something in their arsenal that the believe can go against us."

Madara relit the candle with a motion of his hand. "We must figure out what that is. We will have to send spies and go to the Keeper. We've let this go on for too long and we may already be too late in preventing their plans."

"It sounds like you already have something in mind." Madara faced his father and gave a quick nod. "I do, but I don't think any of you will like it."

A look was passed between Tajima, Kizuna, and Izuna. Madara took it as his time to speak. "We're having a celebration of Izuna and I's new leadership in a few nights. I say we invite them."

"You're insane," Izuna's eyes gleamed as he looked to Madara, "but I agree. It's better to have them on our ground where we have the advantage."

"I agree. The only concern I have is we may be making ourselves vulnerable to the Trojan horse. There's no telling what they're capable of at this point if they're as desperate as Aito said to obtain this beast."

"Well, if we're all on board with this," Tajima stood and cracked his back, "then the only votes we need are those of Anju and Hisen."

"And that is another matter I want to deal with." Madara looked over the three men in the room as they waited for him to finish. He made a decision, but the words burned on his tongue, as if his mouth did not want to speak the words. "Anju is off the council."

As he expected, Izuna was the first to question this. "What? Why!? If it's because you hate her, then I object! I'll object either way! She needs to be on the council!"

Finally, his solemn face and personality broke. His frustration made itself known as Izuna challenged his decision just as he knew he would. "Hate has nothing to do with my decision, little brother. Anju is in no shape mentally, physically, or emotionally to perform these duties. You let our love for her cloud your judgment, just as you always have and I will not stand for it anymore, Izuna. You either get your act together or I'll get you off this council as well."

The threat didn't faze anyone but Izuna. He was visibly shaken by Madara's words and left speechless. And Madara did not feel bad for the look of hurt on his little brother's face. He'd been telling him all this time to not let his feelings for her get in the way, and just like now, they were. He placed his hand on Izuna's neck and brought his ear to his lips to speak to him privately. "I understand that you're scared you'll lose her, but you won't."

Izuna stepped away from him, obviously still angry but not as angry as before. "I'm going to see Anju and see how she's doing. She'll be concerned."

"I'll go with you. I must see how Hisen has progressed."

Madara joined Izuna outside of the council hall, and walked by his side in silence at first. His little brother did not seem happy about his company at the moment.

Then, a loud scree pierced the air and Madara was pushed forward by an unknown force. A piercing pain, like that of a kunai, radiated from his shoulder. His instincts kicked in and his sharingan blazed red, ready to kill whoever had attacked him. When he looked back though, his view was blocked by dark brown feathers.

On his shoulder, a golden eagle had perched itself and dug its talons deep into Madara's left shoulder. In its beak it held a mouse, which was dwarfed by the bird's size. Madara held his hand out and it dropped the mouse into his hand. He recognized this from his own falcon - it was an act of respect and trust.

"Aren't you a beautiful bird?" With the mouse in hand, Madara rubbed the birds head affectionately. Feeling Izuna's gaze, he looked to his little brother, and took note of the pain on his face. "Ren came to you...I can't believe it. He hates everyone. He barely even takes to Anju. I..."

It seemed Izuna didn't know what to say. He remembered that earlier when the bird of prey had approached them, Izuna had said they came to no one. He knew Izuna had been trying for the longest time to get them to willingly come to him, and Madara hadn't even tried. Anju hated him and her most prized possession had come to him on its own free will. It had to hurt and he saw that it did.

"It means nothing, Izuna. He probably realizes I've had a falcon before - these are smart birds, after all." But Izuna said nothing in response. He just walked on in silence, stuck in his own head with a frown on his face. What was Madara supposed to do? Get rid of Ren? He glanced at the bird, who was cleaning his feathers on his shoulder as he walked. He barely noticed the pain anymore. It had been so long since he'd had the company of one of these birds.

When they came to the estate, the sound of metal on metal caught Madara's ears, and it seemed it caught Izuna's as well. They stepped into the courtyard, which was split in half by a veranda. Madara looked for the source of the sound, and found Hisen sparring with what looked like a large dog with four tails. Were his eyes deceiving him? No, most definitely not. That chakra as well…

"It seems Hisen has learned a new trick while we were away."

But there was no response. It seemed Izuna had left Madara's side and he had barely noticed, too absorbed in his own thoughts. Instead, he had made his way over to Anju, who looked overjoyed to see him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss her. Madara looked away, a sharp pang in his chest as he watched, and then anger followed. His veins heated up as they smiled and laughed together. He felt like he was going to blow up and he still didn't know why.

The feeling faded though as he saw Izuna's brow furrow in anger and Anju followed. A strange feeling of satisfaction replaced that anger. Now this would be interesting.

 **OoO**

"What the hell is it?"

Anju's dark eyebrows rose up as Izuna sneered at the large wolf thing that sat in front of Hisen. He had no idea what it was, but he didn't like it. He hated how it's chakra felt, and those sewed shut eyes sent chills through his veins, especially when it looked at him.

"You're really getting angry about a dog? What's wrong with having it here?"

"That _thing_ is not a dog! That thing is a monster!" The rise in his voice caught the attention of the thing in the courtyard, as well as Hisen, but he didn't care. Could she not see how dangerous that thing was? Could she not sense its chakra? "Are you that blind that you can't see what it really is?"

Exasperated, she pointed to the large dog with one hand and threw the other up in the air. "He's not hurting anyone! He's just a large wolf that likes his ears scratched! He's a big baby!"

"Watch it, little one." The _thing_ piped up with a deep, booming voice, that didn't sound like it belonged to it. He glared at it, and in response its lips curled back, revealing its sharp, glimmering teeth.

Izuna looked back at Anju, still disgusted. "I want it gone, immediately."

She poked his chest and glared up at him. "You do _not_ tell me what to do, do you understand?"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her up to him. "I will tell you what to do when you're too blind to see that you're putting yourself in harm's way."

She tore her arm out his grasp and crossed her arms over her chest with a glare on her face that made him slightly uncomfortable. "I don't know who you think you are now that you're a clan head, but you're not in charge of me. If I want Kouzai to stay here in this form, then-"

"That _thing_ is that _beast_?" Izuna interrupted her midsentence with a tone in his voice like she'd just told him there was a rotting body on his bed and a look on his face as if he could see and smell that same body. The anger he felt not only was towards Anju, but now it lay towards Hisen.

"You dare summon that _thing_ here and put her in danger? What the hell is wrong with you!"

Hisen stepped up to meet Izuna boldly, shielding Kouzai behind him protectively. "For your information, _Izuna_ , it was not my idea nor my intention to bring a part of him to the physical world. That was all Anju. I merely summoned him here."

"I don't care. She's been through enough and this is taking it too far. There's no telling what he'll do! It's an unpredictable monster that could lose its temper at any moment!"

"Izuna, you're overreacting! He's hasn't hurt anyone and he won't!" Anju came down into the courtyard, staff in hand and stood in front of him again. His eyes narrowed at her. Couldn't she see he just wanted to protect her and keep her safe? He couldn't do that if this _thing_ was running loose. But then it hit him and a new anger came to him. "What do you mean he won't?"

Without missing a beat, she answered him. "He gave me his word that he would protect the clan and Hisen."

He put his face next to hers, his anger finally reaching a whole other level as his sharingan glowed red in her face. "Get rid of it _now_."

He completely ignored her wide, fearful eyes and shaking frame, his eyes only having interest as Hisen made the seals and Kouzai merged back into Hisen's body. Only after that did he take notice of how frightened she was, and Anju was _never_ scared. He reached out for her, but she backed away from him and disappeared from his sight. "Anju! Anju come back here!"

Realizing what he had done, he sat on the grass and sighed. "I'm a baka."

"Well, we already knew that little brother."

Izuna glared up at Madara, who looked quite satisfied with himself as Ren cleaned his feathers nonchalantly. "You're not helping. I'm going to go talk to her."

"I'm no expert on women, little brother, but I think that's a bad idea. She needs to cool off."

"No, I need to make her understand. I can't stand her being mad at me, especially when I just want her to be safe. If only she understood." And he knew she never would, or she would but completely ignore his warnings with no regard for her own safety. He didn't know which he feared the most – her not understanding or her putting herself in harm's way anyways.

He stood and stepped forward, though he was stopped. A hand clasped his shoulder and held him back. He looked back to see the uneasy face of his brother. "How about I talk to her instead?"

Izuna snorted and shook his head. "She hates you just as much as she hates the demon spawn of hell."

"And I'm sure she feels the same way about you right now. Just let me."

Madara's sudden interest in cooling her down, and talking to her, was quite suspicious. His eyes narrowed in his examination of his brother. Even he – who was closer to Madara than anyone else – couldn't tell what was going on in his head. "Why should you talk to her? You'll probably piss her off even more."

Madara spoke confidently, with a look to match. "I think I know a way to make her see things your way."

Izuna didn't get a chance to stop him, for Madara disappeared just as Anju had, leaving him with Hisen who was leaning against a tree and watching Izuna both amused and resentful. "So, baka – how's the weather?"

 **OoO**

It wasn't hard to follow the angry woman, not that she could get very far anyways. He stood outside the door, watching her as she leaned against the wall next to a weapons rack that held four naginata. She held her arm to her mouth as she violently coughed from her quick escape. For a moment, Madara thought she might actually cough up a lung, or part of a lung at least. Instead, she remained pale and limp against the wall.

When her coughing calmed, he entered the room, which held an assortment of other weapons as well. She didn't even notice him until he spoke. "I told you had to walk before you could run."

She pulled her sleeve away from her mouth, the black fabric crimson from her coughs. "You also told me to stop training by threatening me, so which is it?" Before he spoke, her mouth dropped open as she pointed towards his shoulder. "Ren came to you? Impossible!"

"It's funny," Madara traced the blade of a katana with his fingertips, "Izuna said something quite similar."

At Izuna's name, her eyes narrowed at him. So she was _that_ mad at him. "I don't want to talk about him right now."

"Too bad," Madara stood in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest, "we're talking about him."

"Why are you even getting involved? Just get out and leave me be." She moved to get out of the way, but he trapped her, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her head.

She shrunk in his shadow, but her anger did not falter. "Stop acting like a child and listen, for once in your life!"

He went to grab her face as she looked away, but it was to cough back into her sleeve. He removed himself from her space, though only slightly. She was still very sick, that much he knew. "You need to sit down."

"No, I'm fine." She protested him as he wrapped an arm around her waist and tried to walk her over to a bench in the room. "STOP!"

As she yelled at him, Ren leaped from his shoulder and flew from the room as he went forward, pushed by some force. He luckily caught himself, and was surprised she had such strength in her. But, he was wrong. She was standing, as if nothing had ever happened, and stared at her staff. Usually gray in spots and covered in black gunk, the pinecone shaped top glowed blue and the air seemed to swirl around it. He realized it hadn't been her that had pushed him, but the staff.

In a flash, he appeared beside her and kicked the staff out of her hands. The blue glow disappeared as he did so, and whatever power he felt in the staff disappeared. "Madara, I…I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened!"

This was the first time she had ever been apologetic to him, but he wasn't going to bask in it. He instead picked the staff up and placed in an empty rack. "I don't know what this thing does, but I think it's why you're so angry. Do you feel better?"

She nodded. "What is that thing?"

Madara joined her side and looked at the staff. "Aito and I found it while exploring far away from the clan, in territory that was not ours. We found it when we fell through the ground and landed in some sort of tomb. Aito took it and we barely had time to get out before it collapsed."

With the staff out of her grasp, she seemed weak, or weaker at least. He led her to the bench opposite of the staff and sat next to her. Now that they were alone, he was not angry at her. In fact, he began to feel sorry for her. Away from Izuna, she looked so sad and broken, and nothing like the woman he used to know.

"You know he means well. He loves you, Anju."

She sighed, leaning her head against the wall. "I know he does, but he could go about it a different way. It's just so frustrating!"

"He's scared he's going to lose you again. When you were poisoned, he was a complete wreck. He barely ate, he barely slept, and when you got the antidote, he was so scared he was too late. He's the way he is because he knew what it felt like to lose you once, and he doesn't want to feel that again."

"How could you possibly… I never thought you, of all people…"

Madara gave her a small smile, sending her into a state of shock. "I love my brother more than anything in the world. I hate seeing him torn, especially when it involves you," his smile disappeared, "which seems to be a lot lately. But, he loves you nonetheless, so go easy on him. He's just afraid to lose you."

The earnest words that came from Madara's mouth surprised himself, but Anju seemed to have taken them to heart. She looked up at Madara, but he was not able to determine what she was feeling. "When I woke up, I was a world of pain. I had just lost my father, I watched my brother die, I learned I will probably never be a shinobi again, and my brother was my brother but he also wasn't. Everything was so confusing."

She gave him a small smile. "Never in a million years would I believe you of all people would be the one to talk sense into me. I never even thought I'd listen, but I do. And I suppose I owe you a thank you for that."

The fact she was confiding in him was enough to make Madara's wall he built around himself crumple, if only for a moment. He reached out to touch her face, but retracted his hand back before he could touch her and that wall went back up, his stoic face returning. "I do it for Izuna. His happiness always comes before my own and it always will. Besides," he leaned back, lounging on the bench, "I get to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do anything stupid like the idiot you are."

"You know, I liked it better when you didn't talk."

"And I liked it better when you were in your coma."


	16. Chapter 16: Understanding Part II

**Just a heads up - the next chapter is finished (going over some editing of it) but it is quite long, so you'll have to bear with me on the next one. And I suppose this one is long as well, so bear with me here too! Enjoy!**

 **Also, thanks to those of you who have reveiwed and followed/favorited! It's awesome and keep it up!**

 **OoO**

Like many nights before, she shot up out of her bed into a sitting position. Her hands clutched the sheets so tightly they turned white and every bone in her hands were visible. She was soaked in a cold sweat, with her heart beating wildly against her chest, as if it was trying to escape her body. She felt a tingling sensation all of her body – the sensation of fear.

Her eyes darted around the room in those early seconds of her waking, and then the sound of running footsteps outside. The door flew open, revealing a disheveled looking Izuna. His hair stuck up all over the place and his pants hung loosely off his hips as he quickly approached her and wrapped her up in his arms in an embrace that promised to protect her from everything that could harm her.

This happened nearly every night. She would wake up and Izuna would already be running to her to see what was wrong. Then, he would hold either until she drifted off to sleep or told him he could leave, though he always did so reluctantly.

He rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles, and kissed the top of her head, whispering to her. "It's alright. I'm here."

She clutched him tightly, afraid he would somehow disappear, and it seemed plausible in the early moments when she woke from these terrors. She never remembered what happened in these nightmares, except Izuna's bloody and lifeless face, and a number of dead Uchiha. The rest she couldn't remember to save her life. And this time was no different.

When she finally lifted her head and looked at Izuna, a flash of his bloody face flashed into her mind. She reached out and touched his face, moving a stray strand of hair from his eyes and smoothing it down. He was alright. He was alive. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Same thing?"

She nodded. "Still nothing, except the usual." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Izuna sat next to her, an arm around her shoulders to keep her close.

"I wish there was something I could do to help you." The arm he had around her tightened. She buried her head into his shoulder, feeling his anger and frustration as well as her own. "I feel helpless, sitting here and watching you suffer every night, knowing there's nothing I can do. And then knowing how much pain you're in…"

She closed her eyes, absorbing his warmth. She still felt uneasy and wish there was something they could do. These nightmares were going to kill her. She barely slept and on a few occasions nearly suffocated in her sleep.

And it scared Izuna shitless. Each time it had happened, he had come in here and either found her disoriented and scared, or had to wake her from her nightmares before her screaming woke up the entire clan. Then the few occasions she nearly suffocated herself, he nearly had a heart attack. This was why he was scared to leave her alone, ever.

For the longest time he held her and didn't have a care in the world for anything else but her. Seeing her like this tore him apart, more than any fight they had, like the one earlier that day. He had his reasons for these fights, and they were to keep her safe. She had no regard for her own safety or health, and it made him look like that bad person. But, he would admit he may have overreacted with Hisen and that beast just a tad. Had it not been for Madara, she would not have talked to him.

"What did Madara say to you?"

"That you love me and you're scared to lose me again. That's that short version."

He brushed his fingers through her hair, a small, sad smile on his face. "When you were poisoned, I didn't think you would wake up. I remember feeling like I had the flu. I felt terrible, and there was nothing I could. I feel slightly like that now."

His arm tightened around her and brought her to his chest. If it were up to him, he would never let her out of his arms. Ever. He could sit in this very spot and hold in his arms and be the happiest man alive for the rest of his life, but that was just not possible.

"When you left with Madara to go fight, I thought you weren't coming back," he loosened his hold and looked down at her as she looked up at him, "I stared at your back as you left and thought that may be the last time I ever saw you. I felt much like you do now, and I did until I saw you return."

"Even though I was an asshole?"

She smiled and touched his face. "Even though you were an asshole. You had good intentions, and I did as well. You just had to be a drama queen."

"I just want you to be safe. You understand that, don't you?"

"Hai, I understand."

She did understand, but that didn't mean she agreed. However, she wasn't looking for an argument and just wanted to go back to sleep, even if just for a little while. So she removed herself from Izuna's arms and he stood up to leave. This tie though, as she watched his bare retreating back, she thought differently.

She reached out and grasped his hand, its warmth radiating through her. He turned towards her, caught off-guard by her quick reflex and the action itself. It may have been her fear that night or their late night confessions of how they felt, but she didn't want him to leave.

"Would you like to stay?"

As if gauging what she had just said was the truth or his ears deceiving him, he stared at her for a moment before he slid into the bed next to her. She herself got back into the sheets and curled on her side. She squealed as an unsuspecting arm wrapped itself around her waist, and she found her back against his chest, warming her body. "I don't think this is allowed."

He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Fuck the rules. Fuck it all."

She giggled and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. "Rebel."

He kissed her shoulder. "Always."

Silence fell over them, but only for a moment. "In the morning, would you like to come with me when I go to spar with my brother? Yuuta is going to have Hisen, so…"

In response, she wrapped a hand around his and nodded. She already felt better with him here and so close to her. It was as if his warmth dissipated all of her fears and replaced it with the feeling of being loved. She loved that feeling. "Hai, Izzy. Now go to sleep."

He smiled against her shoulder. "Goodnight, Anju."

"Goodnight, Izuna."

 **OoO**

And like Izuna had said, that next morning – after eating and getting dressed – they went over to see Madara and Tajima, hand in hand, their fight yesterday forgotten. It was impossible to stay mad at Izuna after all. He was just too adorable to stay mad at.

"I'll be leaving you with my Otōsan, but if you need me, just yell for me."

When they entered the estate and walked through to the other side – where Izuna and Madara trained – she heard whispering. Angry whispering. It seemed Izuna heard it too and he sighed loudly. When they exited back outside, she was not surprised to see Madara there, brooding about something and looking royally pissed off about something. Across from his was Tajima, who looked angry as well, but not like Madara, who disappeared as he caught sight of her.

"Well, see you in a few." Izuna placed a gentle kiss on her lips and smiled brightly. It was a smile she had to return. He was contagious.

He disappeared somewhere, leaving her all alone with Tajima. He was sitting at the shogi board, eying it carefully as he played himself. She approached the opposite side and took a seat. "May I play?"

Tajima lifted his head, and Anju could see just how tired was. Dark circles lay under his eyes, and patches of bruises lay on his neck where the high-collared shirt did not cover. Despite his scruffy appearance, he smiled at her and then went into a coughing fit. "I apologize, Anju. I'm not feeling well."

"So Izuna told me. It seems everyone we know is getting sick and…"

Anju dare not say the word. Death had affected her too much already. Her father, her older brother, herself, and Izuna's bloody face that haunted her every night. How Izuna managed to keep it all together was beyond her. Then again, he had always had her and now, she had him.

"There's nothing Yuuna can do for me, but it's alright. I've lived a fruitful life, and I look forward to being with Momoko once again." Given the circumstances, she was surprised by the happiness in his voice. Dying didn't seem to bother him at all.

"You're not upset knowing you're going to die?"

She watched him curiously as he chuckled at her. "Why should I be? Leadership has been passed over and I've done all I can for the clan. It's now my time to join Momoko, Ayame, and Hiroshi on the other side."

Her silence was the only answer she could give him. Ever since being poisoned, she has been afraid of death. Never before was she afraid, but now she feared the day it would come, and she didn't know what had changed to make her feel that way. The thought of dying made her shift her seating position.

"Dying bothers you, doesn't it, Anju?" She gave him a small nod and moved a shogi piece, starting the game. "It's okay to be afraid of death, Anju, given what you went through. No one blames you."

"I feel weak, Tajima. I can't even be left alone."

He chuckled. "Izuna doesn't seem to mind taking care of you, Anju. You need to let yourself be taken of for once. You've always been the one taken care of Izuna, now let it be the other way around. He is your keeper, is he not?"

"He is, but that's not my point…" She trailed over and her head snapped in the direction of something hitting the earth with great force. The dust cleared, revealing a shallow crater with Madara and Izuna in the center, holding each other off. She lost her train of thought as she watched them spar. She could _feel_ the power radiating from them. Raw power. Watching them made her anxious, but it wasn't bad anxiety. It was the anxiety – the excitement – she would get before battle.

Watching them made her mouth go dry and her pulse quicken with the excitement of battle. She couldn't take her eyes off of their fight, not even as Tajima called her name. It was as if everything around her no longer existed, except for Madara and Izuna. She itched to join them – so much so that she found herself leaning over the railing of the veranda. The only thing that stopped her was a hand around her arm – it was Tajima.

Snapped out of her daze, she stepped back from the wooden rail but didn't leave it. She wanted to be out there with them. She needed to be out there with them. The fight called to her like a siren, begging her to join. But she couldn't. That excitement and joy she had felt vanished as she remembered she couldn't join them. She could only be a spectator to their battle now.

"You need your mind off of this, Anju," Tajima placed a hand on her upper back and smiled, "is there anything that can take your mind off of this?"

She thought for a moment, her eyes trained on Madara and Izuna as she desperately tried to keep up with their movements, until finally her eyes remained trained on Madara. She never really paid attention to him when he fought, but now seemed to be the prime time to do such a thing. He moved so much more differently than Izuna.

Izuna moved with delicacy, a tentativeness in his steps and movements, Madara was all power. He stepped and moved with confidence. That confidence gave way to arrogance and she could see that. But even though he was arrogant, she was struck by how he moved. Next to his confidence, he too held the same movements of Izuna, if it were possible. Cautious yet confident. Arrogant yet modest. How could he possibly be both?

"Well would you look at that."

She turned to Tajima, who was watching her with fascinated eyes. "What? Did I miss something?"

He shook his head. "You haven't been this calm in a long time. You should come watch them spar more often if this is the effect it has on you."

It wasn't until Tajima said something that she realized how peaceful she felt watching and listening to them. The sounds of battle calmed her. More disturbingly, it was _Madara_ 's movements that had calmed her. She glared at him. Never had she hated someone so much, yet she wanted to know more about the mysterious man who had plagued her life for the past twenty-one years. She wanted to know why he came and talked to her and why she listened. She wanted to know why he was so cruel to her after saying kind words to her. He was an enigma.

However, she didn't get a chance to ask Tajima what Madara's problem was. He spoke before she could. "Is Hisen bringing a date with him to the celebration? Or is he going solo as usual?"

The question surprised her, and she supposed that was what he was going for. She was more than happy to talk about her little brother though. "He'll be taking Kouzai."

Both she and Tajima chuckled at her response. "They are quite attached, aren't they?"

"At the hip," her eyes wandered back to Madara, who not sat in the middle of the crater across from Izuna, "does Madara have a date?"

Tajima snorted in response. "The day he ever brings a date is the day hell freezes over and the devil invites me to a tea party in a pink tutu."

"I'll take that as a no. Has he ever had a girlfriend?"

"What's with the sudden interest?"

She shrugged. "Curiosity."

At her answer, Tajima shook his head. "The only love from a woman Madara has ever known is that of one night stands and that of his mother."

"Of Momoko? I never picked him for a momma's boy."

Tajima smiled sadly as he watched Madara. "Madara loved his mother more than he loved anything else. He would take late night walks with her, no matter how he was feeling or what the weather. He would fall asleep with his head on her lap. The bond he had with Momoko was the strongest bond between mother and son I have ever seen."

Her mind raced and came to the night Aito died and what he had said to her. _"Anju, do you know how hard he tried to protect both of them? You were not there – he held Momoko in his arms while she died. That blood on him was no Senju's – it was his mothers. And then you yelled at him."_

Her stomach dropped, but she couldn't speak, so Tajima did. "Madara has never known love or what it feels like to love. The only love he knows came from his mother, myself, and Izuna. I doubt he even knows what it is or what it feels like. Any foreign feelings he experiences he pushes away. He doesn't like the unknown, especially when it has to do with how he feels."

She did feel sad for him, even if it was for juts a second. She had always had the love of Izuna and it never once faltered. She couldn't imagine what it felt like to never feel love or the feeling of being loved. "Is that why he is the way he is? Is that why he switches personalities so quickly?"

"I can't say. To this day he's still a mystery to even myself, and I doubt anyone will ever understand him. Hell, I doubt he understands himself."

Never did she get a chance to answer Tajima. Instead, Izuna wrapped an arm around her waist, sweaty and covered in dirt and blood. It was a smell and sight that would revolt others, but this smell soothed her. It was the smell of battle. She turned and looked at him, a huge grin on his face. "I suppose we're staying here so you can take a bath?"

"If you don't mind spending a little more time with my Otōsan?"

Anju looked over at Tajima, who smiled at her. "That sounds fine to me."

 **OoO**

It was so quiet at night that Ryoichi almost forgot what his purpose outside the clan was. He moved quietly and quite quickly for an old man. He was almost to his destination.

This was for the good of the clan – they would understand that. But Madara, he wouldn't. He was to arrogant and power hungry that he couldn't see what was good for the clan. He didn't care if he had the experience under his belt or was old enough to be respected as clan leader – he just wasn't the right man, and something had to be done. He didn't care if Madara was the most powerful in the clan next to Izuna or that he was leader at all. He would see what happened when he disrespected the Elders.

He came to a small clearing in the forest, quite some ways away from the safety of the clan walls, and waited near a large tree. He gave Madara props for being so strong, but it wasn't all brawn. The clan couldn't function without the Elders and their experience, and Madara meant to get rid of them. The twenty-six-year-old thought he knew better than those two and three times his age – he was wrong.

Elder Ryoichi smiled as three figures stepped out of the shadows. The one in the center, the leader, had his head uncovered. His dirt brown hair lay in two braids next his temples and the rest was barely ear length. The other two were covered in black head to toe, and gave nothing away as to what they may look like. Whoever they were, they were strong and Ryoichi could feel it.

"I didn't think you would show, Kouu."

The man chuckled, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight. "And I didn't think you either, Ryoichi. Shall we skip the formalities and get right to business? Your message was quite enticing."

Ryoichi nodded. "The news that the Hagoromo will be attending this Uchiha celebration has caused quite an uproar in the clan. I believe it would be the perfect to get what you want."

"So, the Uchiha do have the beast? How strong is he?"

"The beast lies inside of a young boy by the name of Hisen, and they have grown quite strong together. I suppose you were expecting that?"

The man nodded and looked up towards the moon, which would be full on the night of the celebration. "We're prepared. And the lightning wielder, the woman?"

Ryoichi chuckled. "She's a useless pile of bones that can't walk down the hallway without passing out. She'll be no problem at all."

"I'm surprised you're willing to give up your clan so easily. What's the catch?"

Ryoichi smirked. "You can have the boy and the beast on one condition," he held his hand out to the dark eyed man, "you must kill Madara and Izuna Uchiha."

The dark eyed man clasped his hand tightly. "Consider them already dead."


	17. Chapter 17: Understanding Part III

**Well, here is Chapter 19. The next chapter is one I've been looking forward to writing, and you'll see why next week!**

 **This chapter is busy, and it's long. It was longer, but I wasn't going to be that cruel - most of these chapters are long enough as it is, so bare with me! Enjoy the new chapter!**

 **Also, and as always, thank you to those who have favorited, followed, and and reviewed! I do love love it!**

 **OoO**

How could he be so weak? As soon as she became upset, he was drawn right to her and wanted to make her feel better, and no matter what, he couldn't talk himself out of it. It pissed him off, just like now.

She was dressed up like a princess in the feudal lord's palace, with her hair done up elegantly and raven black tendrils framing her face, and her body loosely hugged by a silky white kimono patterned like a field of flowers. He was surprised Izuna even let her out of his sights.

His eyes were narrowed at her as he watched her stand on the bridge in the garden, her pale face giving away the sadness in her being. It was that face that made him want to go over to her and see what was wrong. This woman had never been like this before nearly dying. It was if the ordeal had changed her – but wouldn't something like that change anyone? The fierce, independent woman he'd clashed with had changed into a quiet and reserved hermit. He was just reacting to the surprising change of her character, wasn't he?

A low, aggravated growl sounded in his throat. He _shouldn't_ be changing his ways now that she was like this. Perhaps that was why she was being so soft – because he was being soft on her. But he couldn't be hard on her, or could he? The only thing stopping him was Izuna, though Izuna had never tried to stop him before. Izuna and Anju hadn't been courting then though.

His eyes quickly darted back to the courtyard of his home – which was filled with celebrating guests, both Uchiha and Hagoromo alike. He could sense something in the air, and the Uchiha were on guard, ready at a moment's notice. If the Hagoromo were to try anything – and Madara knew they would – they would put an immediate stop to it.

Nearly unwillingly, Madara let his gaze return to the woman in his garden from a secluded spot. It could be considered creepy, and he could hear his Otōsan, Izuna, Anju, and the Elders yelling at him for being a pervert, and he smiled a little. The smile faded as he watched a frown come to her soft features. Standing there, bathed in the moonlight with that frown, she looked like a broken doll.

He shook his head, desperate to rid his head of such thoughts. He wasn't supposed to like her – _at all_. And yet, his father had the audacity to tell him otherwise just before Izuna showed up with the brat to spar a few days ago.

 _Madara leaned back against a post, watching the clouds flow past the sun in the blue sky on this unexpectedly warm day. It was a nice change of weather, as it had been mostly rainy and gloomy this spring. If he and Izuna weren't sparring, he would have liked to sit out in the sun with a book or go for a nice walk – after he did his duties as clan head. He should have been looking at documents and shipments that moment, but Izuna had his head so far up Anju's ass that it was becoming rare for him to leave her alone, even if it was to spar with his elder brother. There was no way he was passing this up._

 _He glanced over at the rail next to him, and smiled slightly to himself as Ren perched himself a few feet away to overlook what would soon be a battlefield for Madara and his brother. The large bird was growing on him, and its presence meant that Izuna and Anju were near._

 _Ren had not come to him since Madara had gone to talk to Anju, though that had only been yesterday. Instead, the bird would perch itself a few feet away from him – like now – and would clean his feathers or sleep. Ren was almost constantly near him, unless he was called by Anju or Ken was near._

 _He reached his hand out and stroked the eagles head affectionately, its soft brown feathers flattening at his touch. Ren really was a beautiful bird and Anju was lucky to have such a loyal pet. But his affection for the bird was short-lived as his Otōsan stepped out onto the veranda and Ren flew away. Izuna really wasn't kidding when he said that bird liked no one but Anju, and now, him._

 _His Otōsan stood near the rail where Ren had just been and chuckled as he watched the eagle in a nearby tree. "He's a funny fellow, isn't he?"_

 _Madara answered with a simple nod, and he too, watched Ren as he tucked his head down and started drifting off to sleep. He still couldn't believe how or why Ren had come to him – he didn't even go to Izuna! It was just another mystery he would have to add to his list._

 _"Izuna told me you calmed Anju down and got her to work things out with him?" Madara's eyes travelled to the face of his father, just barely slits as he barely moved his head. "Your point, Otōsan?"_

 _The older man shrugged, his back cracking in the process. "Just curious as to why you thought it necessary to intervene."_

 _"Izuna doesn't like it when she's mad at him, so I fixed the problem, even though it was his fault for overreacting."_

 _For some reason, his Otōsan shook his head and sighed. "Why do you lie to yourself, Madara?"_

 _Madara straightened his posture, not liking the tone of his Otōsan's voice. It seemed like he was accusing him of something, but he didn't know what. "Is there something you'd like to share,_ Tajima _?"_

 _Tajima didn't seem fazed as Madara used that tone, but he was sure he was used to it by now. His son was getting defensive. "Just admit it, Madara – I'm not going to tell anyone."_

 _But Madara had no idea what his Otōsan was babbling about. He honestly had no idea, so he just rolled his eyes. "Fine. You caught me. I like to get up in the middle of the night, grab a bottle of sake and a plate of food, and sit in the hot-springs to contemplate life."_

 _It was clear Tajima was not amused by his son's sassy response, and Madara was quite amused. That was short lived. "This isn't a joke, Madara! Just admit to me that you_ like _Anju and I'll drop it."_

 _As soon as those words left Tajima's mouth, Madara was off the post and standing in front of him, a cruel look on his face that made even him a little queasy. "What did you just say?"_

 _"I said that you like her. You can take it however you want – as a friend or romantic, but you like her."_

 _He grabbed Tajima's collar and brought his face close to his. Never had Madara been like this towards him, and Madara himself didn't know why he was getting so defensive. "Don't you_ ever _say something like that again._ Ever _." He let go of the collar and Tajima smoothed his shirt out._

 _Then, Tajima looked at Madara with astonishment. "Unless you don't know you like her."_

 _Before Madara could retort or make a move, he heard footsteps and looked up just in time to see his brother enter with Anju at his side. His eyes darted between them, and then to Tajima. He glared dangerously at him and then disappeared to the tree line, awaiting his brother._

His Otōsan had to be sicker than he thought, to think a thought like that, and then have the nerve to speak it _out loud_. He did not _like_ Anju, in any way, shape or form. He only went to talk to her so he didn't have to watch or listen to Izuna sulk because of his own stupidity. When Izuna sulked, it was annoying. He loved his brother to death and would anything for him – apparently even fight his battles now – but when that man moped around like his puppy just died, Madara not only wanted to beat him into the ground, but he wanted to beat himself into the ground as well. It was price worse to pay than talking to Anju.

With a heavy sigh, he exited the shadows and approached her on the bridge in silence. She stared down into the river, where Madara watched her make faces at her reflection until she settled on a frown. He could see all the pain and hurt she held inside of her as she stood alone in the moonlight. He internally praised her for putting on such a convincing act in front of Izuna, and for nearly fooling himself into thinking she was alright.

As he realized what he was doing, he stopped in his tracks. This was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. He wanted to stay away from her – not go towards her. His hands twitched as he fought with himself, and he gave himself a headache in the process. Finally, with an aggravated growl, he spun on his heels and turned around to head back inside. That was short lived as he caught a flash of silver as he turned.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was squeezing Anju against his chest as he caught the blade of the offender and kicked him into a tree. He watched as he spat up blood, and with a final twitch, stopped breathing. A look of satisfaction crossed his face, until he heard the clash of metal only a few feet away near his home.

He slowly let Anju out of his hold and handed her one of his katana. He surveyed the area with his sharingan as he did so. The area around her was clear, for now. "Don't move from this bridge, understood?"

She glanced up at him and opened her mouth. "But Ma-"

His eyes spun down on her as he glared at her insolence. "For once in your life, will you do as you're told!? This is not a game anymore, Anju! There are people who care about you and want to see you live, so for once in your damn life, do as you are told!"

His outburst had rendered her speechless, and a look of bewilderment lay across her face as plain as the moon that was in the sky that night. But, she nodded, holding the hilt of the katana tightly in her grasp. "Hai, Madara-sama."

Glancing at her a final time, he reached his hand out and patted her head like he would Izuna. "I'll send Izuna for you shortly. Don't move."

 **OoO**

Wide eyes watched Madara's back as he retreated back to his home to deal with the Hagoromo. He had just saved her life, _again_. Would there be a time where she could repay the favor and rub it in his face? She knew he would do it to her later on, after everything had cooled down. She'd love to see the look on his face if she ever got the chance to show him up, but she knew that would probably never again be possible.

And why was she doing as he said? She walked back and forth on the bridge, katana in hand. At least he had left her something to protect herself with, if it came down to that. And it looked like it would.

She had to squint, thinking her eyes were deceiving her. From where she stood, it looked as if Elder Ryoichi was being escorted with Hisen, and with them, hooded figures. They were moving quite fast, and she had to wonder if Madara had sent him away for safekeeping. That was not the case as a pair of white, featureless eyes stared back at her. She stood there, watching the figures in silent alarm – the Hyuga.

Her eyes darted between Madara's home and the direction in which Elder Ryoichi and her little brother had disappeared to. She thought of Izuna, and how worried he had to be about her. She was worried about him as well and whether or not they knew that the Hyuga were involved. And Madara... she had told him she would stay here. She shook her head and stared in the direction the Hyuga had gone off to with her brother and Elder Ryoichi. Since when did she ever listen to Madara? Since when did she listen to _anyone_?

There was no one around her that she could see. Madara had to be the only one besides Izuna to know she was out here. And no one had headed for Hisen and Elder Ryoichi. If any of the Uchiha knew they were taken by the Hyuga, they would be after them by now.

With her final decision made, she gripped the katana tightly in her hands and prepared herself for the pain she was about to experience as she started running in the direction the had taken her brother and Elder Ryoichi.

 **OoO**

A low, wolf like growl sounded in Hisen's throat as he glared at the back of his supposed Elder. How could he have been stupid enough to believe Madara had sent the old bastard to bring him to a safe place. No, instead he was ambushed by these Hygua and Hagoromo. And then when he had tried to fight back, the Hygua did something to his chakra. He was useless now. His nose was broken and his ribs were sore from where the leader of the group had smashed his foot into his ribcage. And worst yet?

No one knew he was out here. _No one._

"You lying snake! You'll be executed for this!"

Ryoichi smiled at Hisen – a smile that gave him the creeps. "Not before Kouu removes that beast from your body."

Hisen's body stiffened. His mouth went dry and he felt his body start to shake. "No…No! Madara-sama will kill you before that happens!"

Suddenly, Hisen felt a sharp pain in his face and spat up blood. One of the Hagoromo had landed one hell of a hit on his face, and he found it hard to speak. "Shut it, monster! You will speak when spoken to!"

He felt Kouzai rumble in his chest and immediately went quiet. _'You must escape, Hisen! They will kill you, and if they don't, removing me from your body will!'_ At Kouzai's words, he began to struggle, causing some trouble for the surrounding men. He felt something bubbling up inside of him, and then he felt the bubbling around him – it was Kouzai's cloak.

The shinobi surrounding him dispersed at the sight of the cloak, but he could feel their chakra's, watching and waiting, and for what, he didn't know. _'If you can get ahold of the one at your three o'clock, that would be nice.'_

His brow furrowed at Kouzai's absurd request. "What the hell do you need him for?"

 _'Remember when I told you that you've only scratched the shell of my powers, young one? Consider bashing a hole into the shell.'_

He hated when Kouzai never told him what he was planning. Sure the mangy, oversized dog could hear his thoughts but nooooooo, Hisen wasn't allowed in the stupid, ancient things head. It wasn't fair.

With a chuckle, Kouzai annoyingly answered his thoughts. _'I think you'll be pleased. Just remember – the one at your three o'clock.'_

Activating his sharingan, Hisen looked in the direction Kouzai spoke of. The one to his three o'clock had the strongest, and most abundant chakra among the group. By his chakra, Hisen recognized him as the man who had tried to seal his chakra off. How had Kouzai gotten out of that anyhow?

It wasn't like he had time to get an answer. He spun on his feet, his kunai flying and piercing the throat of his attacker. Now he was weaponless and they all knew it, for the group of ten – including Ryoichi – starting coming at him in groups of two or three. However, his eyes were set on the one Kouzai had helped him identify, and on Ryoichi. How could Ryoichi – who was so loyal to the clan and its wellbeing – betray them like this? It was baffling and it hurt him to know that someone he had looked up to would betray him like this.

 _'Young one! Pay attention!'_

Snapping from his own thoughts, he was able to move just in time to block the attack of the one Kouzai wanted. Those pale, pupil-less eyes stared backed at his glowing sharingan as he held the man's fist firmly in his grasp. _'He's the one. Concentrate on him.'_

And for a while, Hisen did exactly as Kouzai said. He tried his best to ignore and fend off the others, and concentrate only on this one man, but they seemed to catch on to his plan. He thought he could still out do them though, and he was. He was able to knock the rest away and grabbed ahold of the man with the strongest chakra. The tails of his chakra cloaked squeezed him until he turned purple and blue, and then, they dropped him.

It wasn't intentional, no. Hisen felt this indescribable pain in his chest and fell to his knees as he gripped the spot over his heart, gasping for breath. What was this? What had just happened? There was no blood – none that he could see, that is. The pain came again and he screamed out.

A foot pushed him down to the ground and a figure with dark hair and two braids framing his face smiled down at him. "My, you have gotten strong, haven't you, beasty? It's almost sad to see it end – almost."

A growl pushed its way into Hisen's throat, and he felt his canines lengthen at the man's remark. Hisen reaction only made the man laugh. "In all my years! You really are close with the beast, aren't you? You really listen to its wild tails and advice? You're playing with a power you don't understand, boy."

Hisen panted as the wave of pain faded. "No I don't understand it, not at all," he cringed and screamed as a third wave ran through him, and this time he swore he heard Kouzai cry out in pain as well. He glared up at the man above him. "But I understand it enough to know you shouldn't have it!"

With all his will and might, he tried to shove this man away from him or use some sort of jutsu, but it was in vain. The more he tried, the more pain he was in. The man above him laughed and took out a kunai, placing it at the top of Hisen's shirt and dragging it downwards ever so slowly as he spoke, "Don't think for one minute we don't have a jutsu formula that isn't strong enough to take this power back, because we do. The Hagoromo have waited far too long to get this power back, and just when we could, Aito and his little brats had to fuck everything up."

When Hisen's shirt had been fully sliced open, the man above him held his hand above Hisen's stomach, his fingertips glowing purple. "This might hurt a bit." He smirked, and slammed his hand against his stomach. Hisen screamed out at the immense pain and blacked out.

As he woke, he stared up at the moon, which had turned a brilliant blue. It matched the blue of Kouzai's markings. He looked around, only to see strange lines drawn around him and the feet of his enemies. He tried to reach out to Kouzai, but it wasn't working. _'Please…help me…'_

He cringed as a burning sensation came to his stomach. He glanced down to see a blue glowing seal, and bent over the seal was that man with a red bladed dagger. "Say goodbye to your friend, _Hisen_."

The blade dug into his skin and he screamed. He screamed louder than he had ever before, for this pain was like no other he had ever felt. It felt like his organs were being ripped from inside of him.

Before he passed out for the second time, the last thing he saw was a flash of white, and then, the purple flash of lightning.

 **OoO**

A single kunai went flying, hitting a rogue Hyuga square in the chest and sending him to the ground. On a rooftop a few feet away stood Izuna, twirling another kunai around with his finger. There had thankfully been very few who had entered the clan and went after those who were not shinobi. He had tasked himself and a few others with taking care of these rogues. Madara seemed to have things under control back home, and with the job finished here, Izuna rushed to join him and see his Anju. Madara had said she was safe, and he believed him. His brother was not a liar.

The estate Izuna once lived in looked relatively unscathed, except for the occasional broken post or rail and the numerous dead bodies. Thankfully there were very few Uchiha, and all the damages were easy fixes.

To believe the Hagoromo had the nerve to attack them, and with the Hyuga nonetheless.

Izuna spotted his brother talking with three other Uchiha, who dispersed as he approached. His older brother had remained relatively unharmed, except for a cut on his right shoulder. Only minor injuries and nothing serious, just like himself. "What's the word?"

Madara's face remained impassive as he spoke. "The Hagoromo and Hyuga have begun their retreat. I've already sent a few teams out with orders to take out the Hagoromo and leave the Hyuga alone unless engaged. They won't get away with this kind of insolence."

"So we're going ahead with plan b?"

Madara nodded. "Plan b, and by any chance have you seen Hisen?"

When asked that question, Izuna got a sick feeling in his stomach. "No, I haven't seen him. Have you seen Anju?"

His older brother didn't answer him, but he led him down to the garden and onto the bridge where he stopped. Madara growled low in his throat and shook with rage in front of his brother. "Nii-san, where is Anju?" He asked more urgently.

His older brother balled his hands into fist and turned to Izuna with a murderous glare that made even him take a step back. "Your little girlfriend can't follow one fucking request."

"Wait, you left her here _alone_? And now she's gone!?" Izuna blew up at his older brother – how could he be so stupid?

"I left her here with my katana and her word, which obviously means nothing to her! I'm going to kill the little bitch!"

And Izuna didn't doubt it his brother's words, and he agreed with them as his own rage and worry for her safety and life wrecked his body. "I think I'll join you in killing her when we find her. She's going to kill herself!"

He activated his sharingan and surveyed the area with his brother, along with other Uchiha warriors who had shown up. She had no chakra to follow and he could see her nowhere.

Panic began to set in and he feared the worst. He couldn't lose her – not now and not ever. Things were finally good and where they should be, and now he may lose her again, and this time she had deliberately put herself in danger. He feared for her life, and he feared of losing the one he loved.

"ANJU!"

 **OoO**

The lightning in her palm slowly disappeared, leaving her panting and shaking like a leaf above her brother's motionless body. She stared down at the deliberately placed curved line that cut into Hisen's seal, lessening its bright blue glow.

Her eyes flickered to Kouu, who brushed himself off as he stood up. "Ryoichi! You said she was useless!"

Immediately, her eyes went from Kouu to Ryoichi, who stood stricken with surprise and fear. Her onyx orbs narrowed onto his form as and she gripped her katana tighter in her hands. "How dare you call yourself Uchiha, Ryoichi. How dare you!"

"How dare I? How dare you, you insolent brat! You are nothing more than a pampered little woman who can't even hold her own. You are _nothing_."

For a moment, Ryoichi's words struck her, and it was only a moment that was needed for Kouu to take his blade and come for her. His foot collided with her stomach, sending her flying into and tree and knocking what breath she had left out of her body. "Now stay down, little girl. Let the men finish their business."

Her entire body ached and screamed for her to just sit down and rest. Her lungs and the rest of her insides burned and ached as well, as if they were on fire. The outside of her body felt like a million little needles were stabbing into her skin, and she was finding it very difficult to breathe. She couldn't just sit here and watch them kill Hisen – no way, no how.

That will to protect her little brother flared up and that feeling she got while watching Izuna and Madara spar overwhelmed her body. She would rather die protecting her brother in that moment than live another second being a housewife and die a housewife, and if it were to happen, so be it. She loved Izuna – the gods and all the Uchiha knew that plain as daylight – but she couldn't live another minute in this life that wasn't hers. She was done.

As Kouu raised the blade, this time over Hisen's chest, she felt something inside her snap. In that moment, a burning, stinging pain hit the back of her eyes, and a sight she had missed so much came to her once again – her sharingan. She stood and with speed she hadn't used since before being poisoned, her katana collided with Kouu's as she stood face-to-face with wide-eyed man. "You will not harm my little brother – not over my dead body!"

"You'll regret those words, little girl." Kouu raised his hand, warding off his approaching men, and fought her alone. She couldn't move like she used to, but it was good enough. As long as she could keep Kouu busy, it was okay.

However, it was only a distraction. She noticed another standing over Hisen, a black blade in hand. For the second time that night, she was thrown against a tree due to her own foolishness. This time, her body showed no signs of getting to its feet, and if it were possible, she felt worse than she did just five minutes ago. A warm liquid dripped down her face from her eyes – now that her sharingan had deactivated itself – and when she touched her face, she found that warm liquid was a dark crimson – blood. Her blood.

A stabbing pain in the back of her skull made her gasp and lean forward, and as she did, threw up whatever she had that day. Her head snapped back as a sharp slap came to her face that came from Kouu. The said man then took a handful of her hair and pulled her up. She cringed, trying to hold back the pain she felt as he lifted her, holding her so the tips of her toes were just barely touching the ground. For some reason, the spat she had with Madara over a month ago came to mind. It was the spat about her hair being too long and a shinobi being able to hold her by it to prevent her escape. She felt the need to chuckle and smile for thinking of such a thing at a time like this, but her muscles simply wouldn't let her.

"Now, little girl, watch as your little brother kindly hands over his beast at the cost of his life." She cringed as he tugged at her hair, forcing her to look down and watch as the scarlet blade came down over Hisen's heart.

She screamed out, but the blade never came in contact with Hisen's body – a longer blade blocked its path and sent it, and its owner, flying into the bushed. Her eyes widened, and she felt an overwhelming sense of thanks to the person who stood over her brother engulfed in the blue shade of his Susanoo – Madara. His eyes landed on her, but only for a moment before he lifted Hisen's body, with his arm around his waist. "I will not let you harm this boy or Anju. Now hand her over!"

A dark chuckle came from Kouu, although Anju could feel him quaking in spite of the confidence he tried to portray. "Well, look at you – the great Madara Uchiha. When did you get a heart, Madara? I didn't think you had morals, Madara."

"I don't have morals and I don't have a heart, and I never will. Now do as I say and maybe you'll have a quick death."

As Kouu laughed, Anju remembered the kanzashi that was in her hair. With her katana lying out of reach, she reached up while Kouu was distracted and tore the kanzashi from her hair and in one swift, downward motion, pierced the kanzashi into Kouu's thigh. He howled in pain and released her from his grasp. As she fell, a pair of strong, slender arms wrapped around her body and away from Kouu.

It was Izuna. And he didn't look happy as he looked down at her. "When we're done here, I'm going to kill you."

Any other time she would have laughed, but she didn't now. Not just because her body hurt, but because looked royally pissed off. It was not something that looked right on him. She simply nodded and looked away, though it wasn't for long. Her eyes were drawn to the battle at hand, and specifically Hisen.

Madara had rid of his Susanoo, and fought effortlessly as he held Hisen with one arm and his sword in the other. Then, she realized, Izuna wasn't helping. He was standing on the sidelines with her in his arms in a tense silence. She didn't have time to think about it anymore, as a thick wave on nausea came over her. It was only then that Izuna stepped over to a nearby tree.

"When this is over, I'm going to kill you myself."

As he went to set her down away from the battle, a Hyuga came for Izuna and she was knocked out of Izuna's arms, and she heard him call out her name as she tumbled to the ground. She looked for him, and found him pinned by a Hyuga. Anger rushed through her body at the sight of someone attempting to kill her Izuna, and for the third time that night, she found the will to fight back. She was his keeper, after all.

Out of her rage, the Lightning came to her like a magnet and she slammed her hand against the the ground. A beam of the purple lightning shot up into the sky, and the earth begs to shake and crack under her feet.

All those who were reachable were electrocuted by the purple waves - some even burnt. So much damage was done in those short twenty seconds, and then she fell to her knees in exhaustion and pain. Her eyes shot to Izuna, who had avoided the blast, and he looked over at her, his previous anger towards her gone and replaced with panic.

She felt rather than saw Kouu appear behind her, and she made no move to get out of his way or even attempt such a thing. If she died now, she would save herself suffering later. Slowly, she closed her eyes, preparing for the blade to pierce her.

It never came.

All she heard was the loud, angry roar that made her cover her ears as she listened. She dreaded looking up, and when she did, she found herself in the arms of her brother, with Kouu dead at his feet. And on the other side of Kouu, a large and very angry Kouzai. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was a second set of opened eyes on Kouzai face. Pale, featureless eyes that haunted her in the darkness of sleep.


	18. Chapter 18: Unexpected Proposal

**Last really long chapter for awhile, I swear!**

 **Also, I may change the rating from T to M, just so I don't get in trouble for not changing it earlier. If anyone thinks it should be changed, please let me know!**

 **Thank you to those who have favorited/followed, and reviewed! Enjoy the new chapter!**

 **OoO**

They had finally finished, not that their objective had been difficult in the slightest. Once the Hyuga realized the Hagoromo had failed, they abandoned their new ally and the Hagoromo were all too easy to take out. With Kouu dead and no one else to lead them, they made it all too easy.

A single kunai flew from Izuna's hand, hitting a lone Hagoromo in the center of his neck. He fell to the ground and another Uchiha grabbed the body by the collar of its shirt and drug it off towards a pile of other bodies. It was gruesome work to all but the Uchiha. To them, it was just another day at war.

"That's the last of them." Izuna jumped onto a rooftop next to his brother, watching as the men set fire to the structures of what was the Hagoromo Clans home – up until a few hours ago – and burnt them to the ground. It was then Izuna sat down as his brother stood, reached into his shirt, and pulled a black mask over his nose in attempt to mask the horrid smell of burning the dead. The smell didn't bother him as much as it once did, but it still had the ability to make his eyes water and the stench stuck in his nose for days.

His elder brother crouched next to him, surveying the area with his sharingan. "We should have brought Hisen and the beast. The bakyugan would be able to see for miles and make the search must easier." Madara referred to Kouzai, and his apparent ability to absorb dōjutsu. Izuna remembered those featureless eyes, and how tired Hisen had looked. The Hyuga Hisen had stolen the bakyugan from had been in terrible condition. The man had looked emaciated, and his eyes were gone. He hadn't stayed any longer to see if there had been any other affects.

The memory of what had taken place two nights ago made him feel hot all over. His hands clenched into fists as he glared at the pile of burning bodies. He didn't know who he was more pissed at – the Hagoromo or Anju. Maybe it was both.

"Still angry, little brother?"

His eyes shifted to Madara, who held the same anger as he in his eyes. "I'm going to kill her when we get back. It seems that ever since she woke up, she's been stupid. Part of her brain must have died when she woke up."

"I can't agree more, little brother. I'd like to join you in her murder, but first," Madara covered his face, trying to block out the smell, "we need to do a perimeter check, five miles in each direction. Then, we can go home."

Izuna stood with a smirk. "I've always had a thing for delayed gratification."

His brother smirked a knowing smirk, his eyes blazing red. "So do I, little brother."

However, Madara had other things to say but chose to keep his mouth shut, as he didn't want to upset his little brother anymore. He and he alone possessed the ability to read thoughts with his mangekyou sharingan, and he had read Anju's thoughts that night. How was he supposed to tell his little brother – without upsetting him – that the one he loved desperately wanted to die?

 **OoO**

He never understood his sister sometimes. This was one of those times.

She lay unconscious in her bed, a cold, wet towel on her forehead to help keep her fever down. At least this time with the fever, it wasn't killing her. She had woken up a few times and he had given her water and a little food. Then, she'd go back to sleep, though not before asking for Izuna. She never stayed awake long enough for him to answer that question.

Silently, he removed the towel on her head and replaced it with a new one. He had done the best he could in removing the blood from her face, but some still remained caked under her eyes. His heart fluttered and he smiled down at her. All of this because she was trying to protect him. He didn't know how much she loved him until now. Had it not been for his older sister, he would have died and the Hagoromo would have had Kouzai. The beast was silent not though. He was exhausted from the extraction of the Hygua's dōjutsu and was asleep.

Hisen wanted sleep as well, but he didn't want to leave his sister alone. Not that she was alone in the slightest. Next to him was one of his and Anju's elder sisters, Eiko. She sat with her legs folded, and in sitting in her lap was her very young daughter, who was fast asleep. He was surprised when she had showed up to help care for her, but didn't stop her. Eiko was a better nurse than himself.

She stirred, and he patiently waited for her to wake. Her eyes fluttered open and met his. A small smile appeared on her face as she reached out and patted his cheek. "You're alright."

He smiled back at her and placed a hand on her head. "So are you, Nēchan."

For a moment, something Hisen didn't understand came into her eyes. Almost as immediately as it appeared it was gone, and she smiled at him again. "Thanks to you and Izuna and Madara."

He chuckled. "Madara would probably like to hear that. He wasn't too happy when he left."

When mentioning their departure, he inwardly cringed as his sister sat up with a questioning look on her face. "What do you mean they-" She was cut off by a coughing fit and her hand shot to her head. He sighed and so did Eiko, who put Natsu in his lap and stood to give Anju some painkillers. "You shouldn't sit up so fast, little sister. Your body is still really weak. It wasn't meant to do what you did."

What she had done the night before last caused more damage than there had been in the first place, according to Elder Yuuna. She'd be lucky if she didn't need assistance for the rest of her life, but Hisen couldn't' bring himself to tell her that. He was too soft.

"Hisen," her voice drawer him out of his mind and he looked back at her, "Did something else happen? Where are Izuna and Madara?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he figured out what to tell her. He supposed the truth would be the right thing. "Well, after the fight, Izuna ordered me to take you home, and he and Madara gathered the warriors to go and I quote Izuna 'eliminate every man, women, and child, no matter what their age or condition'." Never had Hisen heard him speak with such venom in his voice. He thought a tone like that was only achievable by Madara, but he was wrong, and it had terrified him. He thought Madara was scary…

Eiko sighed and Hisen looked at her, confused. "They should be back any time now, little sister. I can't imagine it took them too long to rid of the Hagoromo."

"He was that mad?"

It was then Hisen realized why Eiko had sighed at him, but what was he supposed to do? Make her think Izuna was worried sick? At least now she'd be prepared.

Eiko went to speak, but loud, angry footsteps in the hallway stopped her. Both he and his elder sister were on their feet, with Natsu in his arms. The footsteps stopped at shogi door, and a fair skinned hand gently slid the door open. In the doorway stood Izuna, who looked calmed and composed on the outside, but Hisen could see the anger and worry in his eyes. Served him right to worry.

"Come on, little brother. Let them talk."

He tried to protest as Eiko drug him off as he held Natsu, who was yelling at him for not letting her go. "Let go of me! Eiko!"

 **OoO**

There was no fear in her as she watched Eiko drag Hisen and her daughter out of the room, and left her alone with Izuna. She didn't fear him – she had no reason to, or not yet at least. Izuna's anger was a rarity, but when it came out, it _really_ came out. Well, he wasn't the only one who was angry.

Despite just waking up and their being a sharp, throbbing pain in her eyes and back of her head, she threw the covers off her body and stood. She couldn't help but flinch as her slammed the shogi door shut and glared at her with those red eyes with three straight bars stretching out from his enlarged pupil. Such a display was considered a threat – a seriously deadly threat. "Well, get it over with already! Put me in your Tsukuyomi or teach me my lesson! You know very well you would have done same thing if-"

She was cut off mid-sentence as Izuna pushed her up against the wall, pinning her hands with his next to either side of her. The wall shook from the force he used, but she didn't waver. "What are you going to do? Smack me? Put me in my rightful place like your brother always does?"

His glare only intensified as she egged him on, but what he did was not at all what she had expected. He bent his head to the slightly side and crashed his lips against hers violently, forcing his tongue into her mouth and dominating her own. He pressed the entire length of his body against hers, preventing her from moving or escaping.

After a few moments, he pulled away, leaving her lips throbbing and his coated in red. "You are the stupidest, most inconsiderate, thickheaded woman I have ever met and it is taking every fiber in my being not beat the living daylights out of you and let you bleed to death." And she knew he wasn't lying. She knew that tone, and she knew it meant he was furious.

As she panted wildly, trying to catch her breath after Izuna's kiss, she felt a trickle of liquid down her chin, and didn't need to look to know it was blood. "If that had been Madara, you would have done exactly as I did."

His eyes narrowed on her. "That's different Anju and you know it!"

She returned his look the best she could with the pain in her head. "How is it different, Izuna!? I was protecting my family!"

He squeezed her hands tightly and pressed her harder against the wall. "Because you can't defend yourself! You stand no chance against a shinobi and merely put your life on the line because you have some sort of suicide wish! You aren't the woman you once were, Anju! Get it through your head!"

His words stung more than any slap or other hit she could have taken. In fact, she would have rather been hit than have that said. "You need to learn to live with this, Anju! I can't even leave the room with worrying if you'll make it to breakfast! I can't leave on missions without worrying if you'll be alive when I get back because you decided to go against orders! Every moment you're out of my sight, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Whenever you do something stupid, it's the same way. You just don't understand how easily you can die!"

She felt the anger returning, this time with tears in her eyes. "I understand everything perfectly fine! You're the one who's not understanding anything!" While he was surprised with her outburst, she took the opportunity to free her hands and push him away, putting a few feet between them. "Every time we talk, you say you understand but you're lying! It goes in one ear and out the other! You say you'll help me but all you did is treat me like a child!"

"I treat you like a child because you act like a child!" He stepped towards her, but she stepped back. A low growl came from his throat, but he didn't move another inch.

"I act like a child because you treat me like one! You said the day I woke up that nothing had changed – that I was the same woman as before! Well guess what? You lied! Ever since that day you've been the one trying to change me! You pamper me like a princess and treat me like such! You said nothing would change but _everything_ has changed! You don't understand what I feel every second of every day, and even when I do tell you, you don't listen!"

At her outburst, he looked shell-shocked. "You treat me like I'm stupid and fragile! I thought things would stay the same, that things would be as they would like before this courtship but I was wrong!"

As soon as she finished, she found herself unable to move, for she was once again pressed up against the wall. Izuna stared down at her, clenching his jaw. "No, it's you who doesn't understand! Before all this, you were able to defend yourself and I didn't have to worry about you as much! Now my entire day is spent worrying about you and your safety, and if you'll try suicide like you did the other night!" She gritted her teeth as he spoke. "What you seem to keep forgetting is that you can't do what you did before! You keep forgetting that me losing you would be like me losing Madara! I wouldn't be able to live with myself!"

She averted her gaze, but the hand that wasn't holding her hands above her head gripped her chin and made her look at him, this time his eyes softer as he saw the tears on her cheeks. "Look, I'm sorry if I've made you feel inferior. That was never my intention. But I love you more that I love my own brother. I couldn't bear to lose you, Anju. I swore to your mother that I would be your keeper and protect you at all costs, and that's just what I'm trying to do, but you won't let me."

"That's not fair."

Izuna smiled and placed his forehead against hers. "All is fair in love and war, Anju."

Even with his smile, she glared at him. "I'm still mad at you."

"And I'm still mad at you – furious actually. Madara isn't too happy with you either."

"Well I don't care if he is or isn't." She turned her head away, not wanting to look at Izuna.

"Anju, look at me." She closed her eyes and put her nose in the air. She wasn't giving in this time. "Look, at me, Anju. I want to finish this argument and get on with our lives. Just look at me."

When she didn't turn her head to look at him, his eyes had returned to their onyx color, and he sighed. "I'm sorry I let my fear of losing you get in the way. I didn't realize how I was treating you was bothering you. You always acted like you were okay with everything – how was I supposed to know you were unhappy?"

"I was pretending. I didn't want to make you unhappy."

A warm hand touched her face and she looked at Izuna, who looked down at her sadly. "I'm happy when your happy, Anju – when you're truly happy. You've never hid your emotions from me before, why now? You know I'm willing to help."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you just saying that or do you mean it?"

"I mean it, Anju. Each time I've said I'm willing to help you and to listen, I was never once lying."

Her eyes lowered and she thought of Madara, and what he had said to her before they had left on a mission that one day. "I just… I wanted to see you happy. You'd been looking miserable, and then Madara-"

Izuna's grip on her hands tightened painfully. "Madara? Did he threaten you? Did he hurt you? Anju, what did he do?"

She regretted bringing Madara's name into this as she saw the rage in Izuna's eyes. "No, Izuna. He just told me that if I broke your heart he'd break my neck."

"Well, you're breaking my heart by not being honest with me, and I'm breaking your heart by treating you like a child, correct?" She slowly nodded not knowing where he was with this. Slowly, his grp on her arms loosened and dropped to her sides. "Are you open to negotiations?"

She eyed Izuna carefully as she spoke. "It depends on the terms."

"Terms are as follows – I will stop treating you like your helpless and a child, and stop treating you like an idiot. I will actually listen and I will go kick my brother's ass for threatening you. Are you okay with this so far?" She nodded and waited for him to continue. "In return, you will tell me how you really feel and keep nothing from me, even if it will hurt me. You will stop acting like a child and a spoiled brat, and stop with these suicidal actions and I will try to help with said thoughts. You will value your life just as I do and those around you do. Is that fair?"

Finally, she gave in and a small smile appeared on her face as she looked into Izuna's honest and hopeful onyx eyes. He finally understood. "Your terms are fair, Izzy. If I didn't love you, I wouldn't be agreeing."

"So we're good? No more secrets? No more hiding away? No more wishing for death?"

"We're good, but I'm still mad at you."

Izuna sweat dropped and hung his head as she slipped away from him. "Seriously? What did I do now?"

"Simple negotiations don't excuse your previous offenses."

His eyes met hers. He looked hurt, but he smiled as he stepped towards her and reached his hand out, placing his thumb against the cut on her lip. "If it's any condolence, I was worried sick about you the entire time. I almost turned around halfway to comeback."

She flinched as he wiped the semi-dried blood away. "Why didn't you?"

There it was – that smile. It was the smile of an angel – bright, cheerful, and beautiful. There was no better sight than such a smile, and despite her slight anger towards him, she smiled back. "No one touches my partner and gets away with, Anju. They harmed you, so I killed them."

And she laughed. Only Izuna could say such an unpleasant thing in such a sweet, angelic voice and with a smile on his face. "I'm still mad at you."

"And I you, Anju."

 **OoO**

What a surprise it had been when Izuna had willingly volunteered to take part in the hell that was called paperwork and documents. Madara had thought the world had turned upside down when his little brother offered to do it this time around, but he didn't question it nor did he try to take such a tedious away from his younger brother. The older Uchiha had ulterior motives when he agreed for Izuna to take it on and told his little brother he was going to sleep. Those motives still stood strongly as he leaned against the entrance to the bedroom of his brother's partner.

As he watched her sleep, he was reminded of the night he cast a genjutsu over her mind to drive her towards his brother. A pang of something he didn't not recognize hurt his chest, but he shook it off as he approached her sleeping figure. Even now, he could see plain as day on her face that her dreams were still not pleasant. He was curious as to what went on in that head of hers, but left it alone. He was here for one reason and one reason only.

His gloved hands gripped the sheets and tore them from the bed, leaving his brothers partner devoid of their warmth. All she had left to protect her curled up form from the cold night was a black sleeping yukata.

She rolled over, wrapping her arms around herself as she was ripped from warmth. Still, she did not wake. A heavy sigh rolled from his lips at her deep sleeping state. Just like Izuna, she was apparently hard to wake. Had someone ripped blankets from him, he would have already been on his feet. This was going to be a little harder than he thought.

A variety of ways to wake her up flashed through his head – some cruel, some funny, and some a little bit of both. After a moment of thinking, he lifted his leg and placed his foot against her stomach, pushing her towards the edge of the bed. He did this once more, and that little push was all that was needed for her to fall off the edge of her bed and onto the floor with a thump and a groan. He imagined it couldn't have been too horrible, given that the fall was no more than a foot or less.

"Izuna, I'm going to kill you."

As she spoke, he made his way to the opposite side of the bed where she was and watched as she stood with a pissy face. He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Thankfully, I'm not Izuna."

Her head snapped up and she gaped at him. "What– get out! You have no business here!"

"On the contrary. I'm here to make you an offer."

She stood and glared at him. "No. I refuse whatever it you're offering."

He sighed and placed his hands on his hips. He really hoped he didn't have to do this the hard way. "Fine. If you want to do this the hard way, we'll do it the hard way."

In one swift movement, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Madara! Put me– ow!" He smacked her head against the dresser and she immediately shut up. "Any more noise and I'll knock you out." She grumbled under her breath.

It was easier than he thought it would have been. Here he thought he would have had to put her under a genjutsu or actually knock her out in order to get her to shut up, and he was honestly surprised that she hadn't put up more of a fight.

"Did you really push me off my bed?"

Maintaining a steady pace, he exited the safety of the clan walls and entered the forest without being scene. "No, I didn't push you off the bed – I kicked you. And if you had woken up properly the first time, I wouldn't have kicked you off." He came to a stop and set her on her feet. "Now, do I have to carry you or can you walk?"

She glared at him and began walking forward. "I have legs for a reason, Madara-sama."

The sass in her voice made him do a double-take as he stepped next to her. Maybe he didn't need to do this after all. To confirm it, he activated his mangekyou sharingan and she stepped back. "Don't you dare!"

But it was too late. In the matter of seconds, he got her every thought. She wasn't as happy as she appeared, just as he thought, but she was better. He got sight of her earlier argument with Izuna, and that's when his eyes returned to normal. "Trouble in paradise?"

She sneered at him and began walking in the opposite direction. He shook his head and easily caught up with her. He grabbed her arm and tugged her in the opposite direction with little consideration to the painfulness of his tug. "Stop dragging me everywhere! I can walk by myself."

His grip on her arm loosened, and she tugged her arm from his grasp. He fell a step behind her, just so she didn't bolt or start going back towards the clan, and directed her through the moonlit night for an hour or so, until they came to a riverbank. For a moment, he observed the slow moving river, and was reminded of a more idealistic time in his life.

"Is this the part where you kill me and throw my body in the river?"

He turned, facing her. She had her arms wrapped around herself, and shivered in the cold night. He had forgotten how cold it was, and that he had in fact brought an extra cloak to keep her warm. He reached down the collar of his shirt and pulled out a black cloak identical to the one he wore and tossed it to her.

"Now you give me this? At least it's warm."

He observed her, much like he had in her bedroom a little bit ago, except this time he imagined her as the shinobi she was before, and wondered if she could return to that state. Only time would tell.

"Are you going to tell me why we're out here? Or are you just going to stand there and stare at me until sunrise?"

 **OoO**

When she had gone to sleep, she had hoped to have peaceful night and start anew with Izuna in the morning. Now, she had been drug out of bed and to the outskirts of Uchiha territory with Madara staring at her with no emotion what so ever. What was his game?

The said man took a step towards her, leaving barely a foot between them. She never took notice until now how much bigger he was than Izuna. He may only have been an inch or so taller than his older brother, but he was bulkier and had more muscle, if that were possible. Next to Izuna she felt small, but next to Madara, she felt like an ant. She came just to his chest and had to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes, and for a while she did just that, trying to see if there was some sort of emotion or a hint of what he may be thinking, but there was nothing in those fathomless eyes. Not one hint or give away as to what was going on in his head.

"I suppose my first question for you is if you would like to be the one to execute Ryoichi? Hisen to much too soft for such a thing. You, on the other hand, are not."

Her eyes narrowed, but it wasn't anything towards Madara for once – it was towards Ryoichi. "I'll happily do it, Madara-sama."

His eyes flickered over her face for a moment, then he stepped away and walked to the edge of the river. For some reason, she followed him, and watched as he picked up a small flat stone. He took a couple steps back, then pulled his arm back as if he were going to throw a shuriken, and used the same motion to throw a shuriken on the flat stone. The stone hit the surface of the water, and in one skip made it to the other side. There was an odd look of satisfaction on his face as he looked to the opposite shore that she took notice of as she stood a few feet away.

"I didn't know you liked skipping stones."

His eyes moved back to her, the vague emotion gone from his face. "I haven't skipped stones since I was fourteen." It wasn't exactly the answer she expected, but then again, Madara never did anything she expected. He was unpredictable.

She looked down, and found a similar stone near her feet. She bent down and reached for the stone, and like Madara, took a shuriken throwing stance, and used the same motion for a shuriken on the stone. It hit the surface of the water, bounced, but didn't make it to the shore.

A deep chuckle hit her ears, and she found Madara watching her with a smirk on his face. "And that's why I have brought you out here."

"You brought me out here to skip stones in the middle of the night?"

He shook his head. "No. I brought you out here to train you."

Did she hear him right? Did he really say what she thought he said? "W-what?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "Did I stutter? I'm offering to train you."

"Why? Why are you offering to train me? You hate me! From what Izuna tells me, you're going to remove women entirely from the battlefield! What motive could you possibly have?"

"The same motive I've had since telling you not to break my brothers heart – Izuna's happiness. And as I've concluded, the key to my brother being happy is for you to be happy," seeing the confused look on her face, he sighed, "I saw how you watched us spar – that spark in your eyes and the rapid beating of your pulse. Fighting is what brings you joy, and without it, you'll never be happy."

She quirked an eyebrow up at his words. "So, you're going to train me to make me happy, which in turn is going to make Izuna happy?"

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, you are the center of his universe. So hai, as much as I detest making this offer and going through with it, I'm willing to do it to make Izuna happy."

"Will Izuna know?"

"Not unless you want him to kill you and attempt to kill me. You know as well as I that he will not like this, so you're not going to tell him."

This went against what she promised Izuna. She agreed to not lie to him anymore, and she hated going back on her word. There's no way she could do that to him, could she? If he found out she was putting her life in danger by training, he would be furious and hurt.

"Well, Anju?" She met his gaze, his deep, rough voice holding her attention. "Are you in or out?"


	19. Chapter 19: Thank You

A loud, content sigh left Anju's parched lips as she slid into the scorching water of one of two hot springs in the home of Madara, Tajima, and Izuna. Leaning her head back against the wall, she reached out from her side and poured herself a glass of water. As she did so, she cringed from the pain in her arm that radiated through the rest of her body. She was just thankful Izuna couldn't see the bruises over her body, especially on her arms.

These minor injuries she had sustained were the result of the newly founded agreement she had made with Madara a week and a half ago – an agreement she surprisingly didn't regret. And how could she regret such an agreement when she felt so happy? Madara had been right – now that she was happy, or happier, her relationship with Izuna was flourishing. He even left her alone for long periods of time, like now. It was like nothing had ever happened, and she had Madara to thank for that. In fact, she had Madara to thank for a lot of things.

She looked quizzically down at her cup, moving it back and forth slowly as she thought of a way to repay him. Even though she held a great dislike for the older shinobi and clan head, she knew it to be disrespectful and offensive to not give her thanks to Uchiha Madara. But, it's not like he was expecting it of her, and she knew that. All he wanted in return for training her was for her to make Izuna happy.

The love Madara had for his brother made her think of her own brother and a smile came to her face. She felt the same way towards her little brother. She only ever wanted to see him happy.

These thoughts of hers were interrupted as she heard footsteps approaching the springs, and then the gentle sliding of the shogi door. She instinctively wrapped her an arm around her breasts and sunk lower into the spring, even though her intruder would have a hard time seeing through this fog.

"Boo."

She dropped her cup into the boiling water of the spring and let out a loud yelp of surprise at the low, sultry voice that spoke into her ear. A sweet, innocent laughter rang through the room as she glared at the man sitting on the ledge with his feet in the spring with a self-satisfied grin on his face. "Oh, you think you're funny Izuna?"

He chuckled and placed a hand on her head. "I think I'm very funny, Anju. Now come here."

Her face heated up as he pulled her over to him. "Izuna, don't you dare!" She found herself back on the ledge in the spring, with Izuna on the floor next to her head. She glared at him as she tried to keep herself covered. "Pervert."

"Says the woman who walked in on me changing this morning." She turned away from him, a small glare on her face. "Oh come on Anju. It's not like I haven't seen you without clothes before."

She glanced over at him and relaxed back into the spring. "Well, when you say it like that you make it sound like we've already slept together."

Another chuckle came from her partner, who looked down at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "All in due time, little Anju."

"Izuna!" She balled up her hand and punched his thigh with two knuckles, and the grin faded from his face as he rolled over onto his side holding his leg. "Ow! That hurt Annie!"

She found her cup on the bottom of spring with her feet, and chuckled as she picked it up and poured herself a new glass of water. "Well, that was the point, Izzy. I thought you shinobi were meant to take pain well?"

He groaned and rolled over onto his stomach so his face was inches from hers. "You know, I kind of liked it when you were quiet and not violent." She heard the tease in his words, but chose to fake a frown and be offended. The looked on his face quite funny as he struggled to sit up and started apologizing. "Anju, that's not what I meant! I'm happy you're back to yourself! Don't be mad!"

Her façade broke and she found herself giggling at his behavior. Izuna glared down at her, and she found it funny that he got so worked up when she got angry or upset, or pretended to be at least. His concern for her was touching.

After a moment, his glare faded and he smiled down at her. "You're an ass but I love you."

"The same goes for you, Izzy. I love you too."

Izuna leaned over her and pecked her lips. His low ponytail fell in front of her, and she found herself tempted to grab it and pull him into the water, but her limbs were much too sore to grapple with him at the moment.

Leaning his forehead against hers, his eyes wandered down to her bruised arms. "Fell out of bed again?"

She looked down at her bruised arm and smiled sheepishly. "Actually, this time it was the stairs. I tripped over my yukata." And he believed her lie without a second thought. She did feel bad for lying to him, but Madara was also right to not tell him – Izuna would flip his lid, and that was putting it lightly.

"Is there a reason you came to disturb me?"

Izuna took her hand and lifted it to his lips. "I came to tell you I'm leaving, to go keep up our relations with the clans that supply us. Madara isn't so good with those things, so…"

"So you'd rather eat than starve."

He chuckled. "Exactly. But I'll be gone for a few days, maybe a week or so. I was just coming to let you know I'll be departing immediately."

The thought of Izuna leaving once again tugged at her heart in a painful way. She hated it when he left. She never knew if he'd come back breathing or if he'd comeback covered in a blanket.

"I do not doubt your abilities Izuna, but please, for the love of the Kami, please-"

He shut her up with a quick kiss and a smile. "Don't be reckless. I know, Anju. And the same can be said to you. I've already asked my Otōsan to check on you while I'm gone. Oh, and speaking of family, Eiko invited you to dinner with her and Natsu, as Kizuna will be accompanying me."

She nodded, though surprised by Eiko's invitation. "Hai, I'd love to go."

He stood and gave her a wink. "Alright. I'll tell her on my way out. I'll see you when I get back, Anju."

It felt strange, watching him leave while she was relaxing in the spring, and she almost got up to escort him until he spoke again. "Don't worry, Anju. It'll be alright. And if you need anything, call for a maid. My Otōsan is somewhere around here, and if it's an emergency, Madara is in his office going over shipments."

He really gave her no time to respond, and she understood. Neither of them were good at goodbyes, and she knew he didn't want to leave her alone. If he stayed any longer, he might have not gone, and she felt like eating for the next couple months. Madara was not much of a negotiator, or a friendly person to those outside the clan. She'd seen firsthand that he wasn't capable of keeping up good relations with the clans that supplied them.

She attempted to relax for a couple hours after Izuna departed, but worry for her beloved prevented her from doing so, and the thoughts about a certain mysterious and cruel shinobi. For some reason, she felt herself _wanting_ to talk to Madara, and she didn't know why. She was getting out of the spring and wrapping herself in a towel before she could think about it further. Maybe what she wanted to do was thank him. He had saved her from Izuna's fireball, not told Izuna about her training, he saved Hisen's life and in turn hers, and now he was training her. Sucking up what pride she had left and saying thank you was the least she could do. He sucked up his pride and decided to help her, so she could at least say thank you.

Not really bothering to make her plain gray yukata presentable, she exited the springs, attempting to tie her obi as she did so. With some difficulty, she did so as she passed the kitchen, where maids were preparing lunch. She snuck in and grabbed a large plate that contained rice balls, gyoza's, some vegetables, and smaller plate of mochi dumplings. She licked her lips, dying to have lunch, but not before she grabbed a tea platter with her other hand.

The soreness bothered her, so she hurried to get to Madara's office, which was surprisingly open. She slid the open the rest of the way, and found the room empty, though she couldn't imagine that he'd have gone far. She looked around the room, and placed the two platters on what space was on Madara's low desk.

This was her first time in the room. Before she sat down, she investigated the place, taking note of the books and scrolls scattered all over, and the weapons that lined the walls. Those weren't her interests though. She instead found interest in the left corner, where a variety of leather gauntlets meant for falconry hung on the wall in dust. With them was a perch, a few hoods, a hood protector, bells, whistles, bags and pouches, and so much more. Tied to one of the bags was a group of three dark feathers, though they were not nearly as dark as her eagles.

"Have you finished snooping?" She retracted her hand and spun on her heel at that cold, angry voice, and met the steely gaze of her clan leader. "You have a falcon?"

Madara's eyes looked past her towards the equipment as he retook his seat behind his desk, but he said nothing as he went back to looking over the thin pieces of paper, much to Anju's dislike. She looked back at the equipment and sighed, knowing very well he would tell her nothing, and she shouldn't expect him too. She walked over and sat down across from him, and poured two cups of tea.

"Sugar?" He looked up at her and gave a slow nod, as if he was deciding whether or not he wanted it. When he didn't give her any indication how much he wanted, she put in two cubes, and did the same to her own.

They sat in silence, with Madara squinting at the papers he held in his hands, and Anju sipping her tea. She couldn't really bring herself to eat anything even though she was hungry. She was nervous about thanking Madara, nervous about eating in front of him, and nervous of being in his presence. It never occurred to her how nervous she became around him, but it seemed to be a new phenomenon. She'd never been defenseless around Madara before, and that was new. She'd also never been alone with him.

"Well," her eyes shot up from her tea to his, which were still focused on the paper, "why are you here? I assume a tea party is not the reason."

Finding her voice, she took a deep breath, and felt a part of her pride leave her body as she spoke. "I…I came to say that… well, I came to say-"

His eyes narrowed upon her, cutting her off. "Either your stop stuttering or spit it out."

She ground her teeth as she looked him in the eye. "Thank you."

His eyes stayed glued on her, unmoving and giving nothing away as usual. He just watched her with those cold coal colored eyes like he always did, and said nothing, but she continued. "I wanted to say thank you for saving me from Izuna's fireball that one day. Thank you for not telling him I was throwing kunai the one night. Thank you for protecting my little brother when I could not, and for protecting me. And thank you for training me, because I know that's not easy for you." Her calm, steady voice surprised her, as she didn't feel that way at all.

Still, Madara gave her no acknowledgement other than that same look. Then, after a minute or so, he looked back at his paper. What did she expect? She didn't expect him to just stay quiet. She had expected him to question why she was thanking him and even mock her, but not to just simply ignore her. However, she had come here to thank him, and she had done just that. Now, she could leave, and she stood to do just that.

"I'll see you later, Madara-sama." She bowed to him, stood, and then made her way to the door.

"Her name was Aya," she stopped as her hand reached for the door and turned her head to look at him as he looked at his paper, "that was the falcons name."

The revelation stunned her, and left her frozen in place as he read the paper before him with sad eyes. "I got her when I was nine from a market. She was vicious, and took me awhile to train her…" he paused, and looked over at her. She could tell he was deciding whether or not to continue. "But she turned out to be a loyal bird. We had a mutual trust, and she was one of the few things I ever really appreciated and…" he paused again, his brow furrowing together, "and ever really loved."

By now, she had turned around fully, and watched him carefully, trying to gauge if he would speak anymore of the matter. "What happened to her?"

Her eyes widened as pain flashed across his face, though it only be for a moment, and then his composure was back to normal. "She died protecting Ayame and my Okāsan. One of the Senju shinobi killed her."

She averted her gaze back to the equipment. He obviously must have loved it, or else he wouldn't have all this equipment for it. "It looks like it was a hobby, why not continue?

"It takes time and effort to train birds of prey. When my Okāsan died, I had to pick up my Otōsan's slack, and therefore became his right hand in everything. I never had the time to buy a new falcon or to find one, and then train it. And…" he paused and she met his gaze, "when you're with something for fourteen years of your life, it's not easy to get over it."

The heartfelt confession really left her speechless. She didn't know what to say to him, or if she should say anything at all. Something like this couldn't be easy for him to tell anyone, especially her. And she doubted he'd ever said this to anyone, and that affected her more. He was trusting her.

With a small smile, she bowed her head and headed for the door. "I understand, Madara-sama."


	20. Chapter 20: Bonds

**I cannot apologize enough for not posting in about two months, I really can't. I started working again, since I do a seasonal job, and i ha e been coming home so drained that all I can do is go to sleep.**

 **Fortunately, I started watching Naruto the other day and got my inspiration back. I did not abandon this story or my other one. It's not as exciting as I hoped, but I can definitely promise the ones that follow will be! I just wanted to get something out there, and what I originally had was not it. I can however promise the next few chapters will be exciting!**

 **Once again, thank you to those who have followed/favorited and reviewed! Thank you for being patient, and I will be going back to weekly updates! Enjoy!**

 **OoO**

The day after Izuna's departure, Anju found herself sitting outside on a porch, watching as children ranging in age played with a ball while others sparred and played tag. She found herself watching them fondly, for she was reminded of her childhood and doing the same as these young ones.

Next to her, her elder sister Eiko sat in a chair, washing clothes and occasionally glancing up to watch the children. Anju too was washing clothes with her sister, in attempt to help her while Kizuna was away with Izuna and others. Eiko would need all the help she could get in the coming months, and Anju knew she was not short in volunteers. All the women of the clan stuck together, especially when a child was on the way. Eiko was only one of the many pregnant women of the clan, but that didn't make her any less important.

"You're awfully quiet, little sister. Is something wrong?"

Anju blinked, zoning back into her head. She looked back at her sister, smiling sheepishly. "Just thinking about Izuna is all."

And she wasn't lying. Izuna had been on her mind since he left yesterday. Though she knew she had no reason to worry about her beloved, she found herself unable to stop the worry and stress his absence brought her.

Eiko giggled and smiled. "It's adorable how much you love and care for Izuna-sama."

Anju crinkled her nose and went back to watching the children as she helped clean clothes. "I'm just concerned for my partner. How is that adorable?"

"Look at you! You're back to your old self. No blushing or awkward faces. I'm happy to see you back to the old you." Eiko reached over and patted her head, leaving Anju to swat away her elder sisters affections in vain. In the end, she couldn't help but smile as Eiko hugged her and she hugged her back. "I missed my little sister."

Anju pulled away and pat her sisters head, just as she had just done hers. "I missed you too, Nēchan."

A sudden force hit Anju, and she fell backwards with a small blue bundle latched on to her middle. It was young Natsu, grinning up at her. "I missed you too, Obasan!" The small bundle dressed in a plain blue yukata held on to her tightly, as if something bad would happen if she let go. She placed a hand against Natsu's head, holding her against her.

This was the first time since the young girl had been born that Anju had actually spent quality time with her niece. She realized how sad that was, seeing as the Uchiha were a clan all about family, and she had neglected hers in her search for recognition from Uchiha Madara and the rest of the Uchiha shinobi. But now, with her loss of power and shinobi status, and with Madara removing women from the battlefield, she could focus back on family.

The thought of that warmed her insides as she hugged Natsu close to her. "I'm not going anywhere, little one. I'm here to stay."

At her words, the little girl looked up at her with large round eyes that sparkled with joy. "Yay! Obasan is going to stay with us!"

"Eh? Wait, Natsu! That's not what I meant!" As the young girl ran back into the excited children before them, Anju stood to go after her, but was stopped as someone grabber her sleeve. Eiko smiled up at her, her bangs shielding her left eye. "Let her go, Anju. She'll have forgotten by the time she comes in."

"I doubt that, Eiko." Her sister released her sleeve and she returned to her spot washing clothes, being sure to keep a close eye of little Natsu.

With a giggle, Eiko ringed out and flung a dark shirt over the rail along with other drying clothes. "When you and Izuna-sama have children, you'll learn that I'm right."

Anju froze. Children? She and Izuna hadn't spoken one _word_ about children. Sure it had been something goofy to talk about a couple years back, but it had not come up since he had asked her to court him. She had forgotten all about children.

"What does Izuna-sama have to say about kids? How many does he want?"

Anju narrowed her eyes down at a white yukata as she tried to scrub a stain from it. "We haven't talked about children, if I'm being honest."

"What?" Eiko dropped the shirt and looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. "But you two are sleeping together, aren't you? You both have to know that you can't control when you have a child – it just happens."

Anju's eyes grew like saucers as she pointed a finger at Eiko. "We're not having sex! Why does everyone think that?"

Shrinking back, Eiko felt a sweat drop form on her forehead. "Everyone just heard you."

She glared at the on looking parents and folded her arms over her chest. "Let them. Why does everyone think we're sleeping together?"

"May I, Lady Anju?"

A woman who had also been on the porch, rocking her infant child, met Anju's steely gaze with shyness. There was an old, small scar on her left cheek and beauty mark as well. She blushed with embarrassment and scratched her cheek. "You and Izuna-sama have always been close, and most of the clan does think you two have slept together. Now you two are in a courtship, and, well…"

"Well spit it out!"

Eiko sighed and looked apologetically at the shy woman who was taking Anju's embarrassed anger. "What she's trying to say, little sister, is that you and Izuna-sama have been courting for a couple weeks now. It's quite common for a couple to have had sex by this point, especially you and Izuna-sama."

"You slept with Kizuna?" Eiko looked away and nodded. Anju then looked to the women in the rocking chair and pointed to her as well. "And you, Ami, you slept with Ichiro?"

"Well, um, hai, Lady Anju."

Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming sense of pressure – peer pressure. It would seem that all these women had slept with their partners _before_ a proposal and _before_ marriage. She thought that was against the rules of a courtship. And now, she felt exposed.

"Little sister, it's-"

"Lady Anju!"

Anju's head snapped in the direction of the voice, and she found three women dressed in Uchiha shinobi attire, looking quite distraught. "Lady Anju! Madara-sama is holding a meeting without Izuna-sama and is ridding the Uchiha's forces of female shinobi!"

Scratching the back of her neck, she looked between the three women, and felt the eyes of all the women on her. "I mean no offense, but why ask me?"

The one in the front, with shoulder length raven hair and missing her right eye, smiled and bowed to her. "We look up to you, Lady Anju. And you are courting Izuna-sama. The Elders have stated before that if a leader is not here, his wife is to make decisions on his behalf. We know you and Izuna-sama are not married, but you're good as. We want you to represent us women of the Uchiha!"

She was stunned. After all of this, she was still looked up to? She was still respected so much that they wanted _her_ to represent them? What was she supposed to say? That part of her agreed with Madara? No, she couldn't do that to them.

"Alright. Lead me to Madara-sama."

 **OoO**

"This isn't going to sit well with the women, Madara-sama."

"They'll get over it. Soon they'll see my decision is for the welfare of the clan."

Madara twirled his finger in a warmed cup of tea as he rested his chin on his hand. He was waiting for the women to start throwing a tantrum as he heard the opening of the double doors. With a sigh, he looked up. He was a person who rarely showed emotion, but he couldn't hide the surprise on his face as he saw a group of women walk in, and at the front of the group was Anju.

"Uchiha Anju. What have I deserved to be graced with your presence?" He leaned back, a smirk on his face. This was going to be interesting.

She placed her fist against her palm and gave him a small bow, which also surprised him. "Well, Madara-sama, these women came to me after hearing your decision to remove them from the battlefield and want you to reconsider."

"And what do you think gives your ineffectual and feminist mind the right to campaign for these women? You are not on this council and you hold no supremacy in this room or in this clan no further. What do you hope to accomplish by coming here?"

Anju gave him a small smile and sat across from him. He leaned forward, curious as to where this was going to go. "You are not supposed to make decisions without Izuna, who is not here. If Izuna is not here, his wife will make decisions on his behalf. So, how about we discuss this like civilized adults?"

Madara once again leaned back, tracing his index finger over his lips. "I don't see what else there is to discuss, Uchiha Anju."

The said woman poured herself a cup of tea, watching him as she did so, and he watched her, along with his two new council members, Jiro and Kouta, and his father. "I would like to hear your reasoning behind this decision. Then, I will give you my input."

She was being very calm and mature about this, and it only intrigued him more. What did she have up her sleeve? "Very well. First, I would like to state that the removal of women from our forces does not mean the rest of their rights will be stripped. We do not need distrust and violence within our own clan."

"Madara-sama, you are dodging my real question. I want to know _why_ you have made this choice."

For a moment, he wanted to yell at her and tell her she already knew the reason, but immediately remembered that he could not do that, for no one was to know about their nightly meetings, or that they talked on occasion. He didn't want to be associated with her, so he played along with her little game.

"We both know that the men of this clan are much stronger than the women, except for a very select few. Each time I send men out, others have to stay behind, and those who stay behind could have been used in the ensuing battle. Those women who went in the place of the men often come back dead, and you that as well as I know, Anju." He took a drink of his tea before continuing. "If the women are able to stay behind while the men go off to battle, the clan will be well protected. If we were to come under siege, I could trust that the women would be here to protect the clan and our children."

"But Madara-sama! Men can still stay while we go! It won't make a difference!"

Madara's eyes burned red as he looked to the woman who spoke out of turn and shrunk as he glared at her. "You dare speak out of turn in the council hall? Watch your insolence!"

The young woman fell onto her knees and bowed before him, but he paid her no attention. His attention was solely focused on Anju as she set her cup down and looked at him. "What she says is true, but not entirely. Most of the men are much stronger than the women and are usually ordered to stay back in the compound to guard the clan due to women going out into battle. After hearing what you have to say about this, Madara-sama, I have to agree with your decision."

There were audible gasps as Anju announced her decision, even though no matter what she said he wouldn't have changed his mind. He too was surprised by her answer, since the last time they spoke about this she was rather upset. It seemed she had given it quite a bit of thought.

"Lady Anju, you can't be serious! You really agree with Madara-sama about this?"

Anju's eyes met his, and they softened the moment they met his. It was the same way she looked at everyone else. She wasn't looking at him with hate or distrust or anger – it was soft and something he couldn't comprehend. "I agree with Madara-sama, and I know Izuna would as well. As long as the women are still trained and able to fight, I see no issues with this and neither should anyone else."

After she spoke, Anju stood and bowed to him. "Madara-sama."

He watched her retreat, the three women in tow. He had expected her to throw a fit or at least argue to allow the women to stay in battle, but she agreed with him. Maybe she wasn't as incompetent as he thought, and actually had a reasonable bone in her body. He would have to ask her on her true feelings tonight.

 **OoO**

Anju had arrived early to training, and had left the compound without Madara. She knew he would know she had left, and knew he would be here soon, not that it mattered. She could train just fine without him, but she didn't consider this training. All they had done is pushups, crunches, pullups, and running. There was no sparing or use of ninjutsu or genjutsu, and frankly, it was starting to aggravate her. Maybe Madara really did see this as a joke.

Instead of pushing herself more, she stopped her exercising and sat down on the pebbly bank of the river. Sure she felt better from the exercise, but it wasn't what she wanted. And she wasn't stupid – she knew she had to walk before she could run, but she missed the fight so much.

And then she openly agreed with Madara about the women. They probably wouldn't be too happy with her now, but she genuinely agreed with Madara. Not because she could no longer fight or because she wanted to start an argument, but she honestly thought it was the right choice. So what was the point of training now that she had forsaken the women? If she was just going to be a housewife anyways, what was the point?

A flat stone caught her attention and slid it between her hands. It was very soft, and an excellent skipping rock. Remembering the other day with Madara, she threw the stone across the water, and like before didn't make it to the other side. So she took another and did the same thing, but as she tossed the stone, she felt a severe pain in the back of her head and gripped the area tightly as her vision became blurry.

 _"Throw it more like a shuriken, Anju. It's all in the wrist."_

She looked around, trying to find the voice, but she was the only one around. Could it have just been in her head? But it seemed so familiar, like something from a dream. She was overcome with a strange sense of déjà vu.

Deciding to no longer train for the night, she went along shore collecting flat rocks and returned to her previous spot on the shore. Madara made it look so easy but it wasn't, at least not to her.

"Enjoying yourself?"

A few minutes into her rock-skipping session, she heard Madara's voice as he approached her on the shore. He stood a few feet away from her and picked up a stone from pile. In one swift movement, his stone hit the calm river water and bounced to the other side. She stood, baffled. "How? How are you so good at this?"

He looked over at her and shrugged. "I had a lot of practice when I was younger. Let's see your form."

Like she had done countless times before, she took her stance and threw the stone, but it didn't make it to the other side of the river. She sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess I have some ways to go."

Madara chuckled and crouched to pick up another stone. "You need to throw it more like a shuriken, Anju. It's all in the wrist."

As he said that, Anju felt a sharp pain in her skull and looked over at Madara, except he wasn't Madara. He was a younger version, much younger, and held a smile on his face. Next to him appeared a young girl in a red kimono. _"But I don't know how to throw a shuriken! No one taught me!"_

The younger Madara chuckled and placed a hand on the little girl's head. _"Don't worry, Anju. I'll teach you everything you need to know_."

The scene before her abruptly vanished, and she was faced with Madara, her was watching her with his usual blank expression. "Did you hear anything I just said, Anju? Or did it go in one ear and out the other like it usually does?"

She shook her head, realizing she must have been hallucinating. "My apologies, Madara-sama. It seems I blacked out for a moment there."

The older shinobi nodded and turned away from the shore. "Enough rock skipping. You need to return to training."

Still, as she joined Madara for some pullups, she couldn't shake off what she had just seen, nor did she feel like throwing a tantrum about this so called "training." What she had just seen left her speechless, because she remembered that day.

As they trained, or as she liked to call it, Madara's pity train, she couldn't stop thinking about that scene. She knew Madara could tell she was distracted, and they didn't train for long until Madara called a break and led her over to a large boulder, where they sat back to back.

"What are your true feelings about women being taken out of the battlefield?"

Right to the point as usual. She tilted her head up and looked at the bright stars around them. "If I had any ill feelings towards your decision, I would have made it clear in that room. I know my opinion does not matter, but I think it's the right choice."

Silence fell over them, and she was once again left to her own thoughts, and a pork bun Madara had given her as they had sat down. "Madara-sama, may I ask you something?" Her brow furrowed together as she looked up at the sky, wondering whether or not she should ask him about what she had envisioned.

"What is it?"

She thought hard for a moment before lowering her gaze back on her half eaten pork bun. "Nevermind, Madara-sama. It wasn't important."


	21. Chapter 21: The Past Revealed

**Keeping to my word of updating weekly and on time!**

 **Thank you to those who have followed/favorited, and to those of you who have reviewed! You're awesome!**

 **OoO**

With yet another sleepless night, a loud sigh left Anju's lips as she stared blankly at the ceiling, just like she had been since Izuna had left to see their suppliers. Without him, she could not sleep. He woke her from the nightmares she could not remember, but he was not here. She would sleep, only to wake in a panic, and the fear she felt for the rest of the night kept her from sleep.

There wasn't much for her to do to keep herself occupied either. She had cleaned everything, done all the laundry, and made sure everything was in order for Izuna's return, which couldn't come soon enough. She missed him and she needed him to keep these terrors away.

Like the previous nights, she wrapped the black comforter around herself and made rounds around the estate. She would stop in her father's old office space, which had now become Izuna's, and sit there for a while, looking at the scrolls Aito left her but she could not decipher their words.

When she finished there, she wandered aimlessly around her estate, and if she felt up to it, she would leave her blanket at home and begin to wander around the clan. Walking around the place she called home brought her peace, but it did not bring her what she needed most – sleep.

In her rounds this night, she walked pass the weapons display room, but this time she stopped. Something compelled her to take a couple steps backwards and peek her head into the room. Nothing was out of place, as expected, but her eyes roamed until they landed on the staff. She felt no energy or chakra emitting from the object, or any sense of life. What had she been expecting? It was a cold, inanimate object. But it was also a cold, inanimate object that had lashed out at Madara.

Or maybe that had all been a hallucination. She had been having a lot of those lately, starting with the stone skipping at the river the other night. Now almost everywhere she looked she saw visions of a very young Madara, and what she had to assume to be a much younger version of herself. Maybe this was a delayed side effect. There really was only one way to know for sure.

She looked at the staff once again, though this time she walked towards it and took it from the weapons rack. She felt nothing as she touched it. Just as she thought, it was a cold, lifeless object. Still, she couldn't shake this feeling she had deep inside.

Whatever the feeling was, she ignored it and until dawn came, she made rounds around the estate with the staff, having missed its company. She was able to watch the sun as it rose and turned the sky into its canvas. Soon she would have to leave to join Eiko and help her around her home, as she promised. It was some much needed sister/sister bonding time, as well as the perfect opportunity for Anju to bond with her very young niece.

She stripped out of her night clothes and into a pair of day clothes, which was a dark blue yutaka with a black obi. As she headed out, she left the staff in her room next the bed, and gave it one final look before leaving. Instead of heading straight for Eiko though, she turned in a different direction, which brought her to Madara's home. It was time to set things straight.

She removed her shoes and stepped into the home that was much like her own, not bothering to knock or announce her presence. If she did that, she would wake Tajima, and she would rather him not know she was here to see Madara.

"Anju?"

Freezing on the spot, the worst outcome happened and she found herself having to turn around to greet Tajima. "Tajima, I thought you would be asleep."

His eyes ghosted over her, but the smile on his lips never left. "I may be old but I still rise at the crack of dawn, Anju. Now what can I help you with?"

It then dawned on Anju that it wasn't Madara she should be asking about what she'd been seeing – she should be asking Tajima. He would be able to answer all her questions, so she played it off as if she had been here to see him all along, despite the slight disappointment of not seeing Madara. "Is Madara around? I have something private I'd like to talk to you about."

Tajima shook his head and held his arm out, signaling for her to follow him. "No, he's not. Ken came in this morning with news from Izuna and Hisen. The Senju are giving them trouble."

"It has to be serious then, if he left in such a hurry."

"It is. Izuna requested him immediately and he left late last night."

Her stomach dropped as her worry for Izuna and her little brother grew. And much to her surprise, she found a small part of herself worrying for Madara's safety as well, as stupid as it was to.

Tajima had her seated at a small round table, where a fresh breakfast had been prepared. "Don't worry about the battle at hand, Anju. It will all go smoothly. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Her eyes flickered up from her tea, and landed on Tajima's concerned face. "It's about Madara… Madara and I."

 **OoO**

Hisen ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his bangs out of his eyes as he stood next to Madara facing the Senju. On Madara's other side was Izuna, and next to Izuna was Kizuna. But this didn't feel like other battles he had been in. No, something about this felt utterly wrong and made him fidgety. He had a terrible feeling of dread that he could not shake.

 _'Keep calm, young one. All is well.'_

Kouzai's words did not reach him, at least not on a level he actually listened to them. His anxiety seemed to have reached Madara, who turned his head to look down at him. "Do not make the first move. I would like to keep your strength a secret for now."

However, that's not what Hisen was worried about. There was just something in the air, something he had a feeling only he could feel, that was making him want to run. That's when he felt it, and heard it.

Voices. Voices screaming and filled with so much pain and agony. He clutched his chest, his knees trembling at the chakra he felt. It was more ominous than Madara's, and so full of hate. So much hate it made him feel sick, and so treacherous. It felt like there was a dark cloud over him, or he was drowning in a thick, sticky substance.

That's when he felt the anger bubbling in his stomach and in his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut, entering the abyss in his mind where Kouzai rested. He was seated on the beasts wrinkled muzzle that was curled back in rage. Still clutching his stomach, Hisen scratched Kouzai's brow, above his new Bakyugan and second set of eyes. "What is it? I feel it, Kouzai. It's making me sick."

 _'It is an ancient and dark chakra as old and as powerful as my own, but it is meant for destruction and hate.'_ One of Kouzai's four tails – one for each of the chakra natures he had mastered, with only water left to go – came down and wrapped him up in its warmth. Hisen sat on the white tail as Kouzai brought him face-to-face with him. _'What you are feeling young one, that anger and sickness, that is what I feel. I was summoned – created – in the first place to defeat this monstrosity I thought to be banished back to its dimension. Now I – we – will have to do it again.'_

Hisen reopened his eyes, with barely any time have passed. The moment he did, his arm became encased in blue chakra as a black tendril shot up from the ground and came for him. He split the tendril in half with his arm, back flipping and sliding a few feet away.

Immediately, Kouzai's white cloak of chakra enveloped him, without even needing to ask or perform hand signs. The blue marks that decorated Kouzai's fur decorated Hisen's skin now, and the four tails of the cloak. Madara may have told him to keep his power hidden, but this was pure animalistic instinct, and he felt it in his soul. He had been attacked, and on instinct Kouzai came to protect him. It could not be helped.

"That's quite a power you have within you, boy."

Sickly yellow eyes and a toothy grin of sharp teeth met Hisen's unwavering sharingan gaze. He growled a deep, menacing growl. This was the man that had nearly taken his sisters life, and it turn, his and Izuna's, for he nor Izuna could have survived without Anju, especially Izuna.

It was time for Hisen to return his sisters protectiveness and work with Kouzai. Whatever it or Kouzai was, he didn't care. What mattered to him was that this man had almost taken his sisters life, and that was the ultimate sin.

The voice that spoke was not his, but a mixture of his and Kouzai's voice. "Neikan."

The blonde was surrounded by black tentacles that stroked him and surrounded him like a shield, nearly blocking out the sun. "Kouzai."

 **OoO**

 _"But I don't know how to throw a shuriken! No one taught me!"_

 _The younger Madara chuckled and placed a hand on the little girl's head. "Don't worry, Anju. I'll teach you everything you need to know."_

 _She giggled with glee as Madara took her hand and led her back up the bank of the river, away from its cold water and pebbly bank, and up into the lush green grass. She watched with curious eyes as he took a pouch off his side and tossed it to the ground. Shuriken spilled from the pouch and onto the ground before her._

 _"Pick one up and study it. I'm going to make a target."_

 _She took one of the shuriken from the ground and turned it over in her hands, looking at it so closely in fact that she could see the many scratches on the metal from previous uses. It was pretty. Not in a girly or glittery way, but in a way her young mind could not comprehend._

 _"Don't get that too close, Anju. I don't want you getting hurt."_

 _A soft, tentative hand was placed on her back and she looked up at Madara's smiling face. She smiled back, holding the shuriken in her hands. "I won't get hurt as long as I have you, Madara."_

 _He chuckled and a light shade on pink came over his cheeks at her words. "That's right. I'll always protect you. That's why I'll teach you to throw shuriken."_

 _With a bright smile, she followed Madara over to tree with a bullseye painted on it. He stood on her left a foot away and pointed to the target. "Try throwing it."_

 _Her young mind tried remembering how she had seen Madara and others throw shuriken before, and she gave it her best try. She drew her arm back and threw the shuriken, hoping to please Madara with where it landed. The shuriken stuck at the base of the tree, quite a few feet away from the bullseye._

 _Tears flooded her eyes as she fell onto her knees. "I didn't make it."_

 _Immediately, Madara was kneeling by her side and wiping away her tears with a kind smile. "Not everyone makes it on their first try, Anju. You have to keep practicing at it. You have to make it happen." He held her face in his hands and smiled down at her. "Now come on and stand up. I'll show you how it's done. Before the day is over, you'll be throwing these shuriken blindfolded."_

 _At his words, she smiled and took his hand as he helped her up. He then moved behind her and set her up in a position that was uncomfortable in her yutaka. He rubbed the back of his neck as he saw her struggling. When she saw the look on his face, she became concerned and fidgety, playing with her yutaka to keep herself occupied._

 _"Hey, Anju," a pair of hands grabbed hers and returned her back to the pose he had her in, "it's okay. I didn't realize these were hard to move in. Tomorrow I'll bring a shirt and pants for you to wear, but this'll do for now. Now just follow my stance and I'll guide you the rest of the way."_

As Anju explained one of the many things she had been seeing, and even daydreaming of, Tajima sat in silence, picking at his food just as she was. Maybe it was wrong of her to come to him for answers. Maybe this was all in her head.

"Anything else? Is that all you've been seeing?"

She looked up at him, and like Madara, his gaze gave nothing away. "Well, no. This was the first one I saw, but I see many others like it that involve Madara."

The silence filled the room again, as Anju anxiously awaited Tajima to answer her. In the silence, she looked back down at her tea and at picked at her breakfast. The longer the silence droned on, the more this felt like a mistake.

As she placed her hands on the table, ready to get up, a chuckle came from Tajima. She looked up at him, and was surprised to find a soft smile on his face. "There was once a time, a time where we thought you would marry someone else, and not Izuna," she stared at him as eyes full of sadness met hers, "and that person was Madara."


	22. Chapter 22: Tajima Tells All

**I know, I'm late. Someone might have to start reminding me to post and make sure I did the chapter xD Sometimes I'm too tired and forget, so I may need a reminder. And of course, when I did go to post this, fanfiction didn't want to save the document, so it was frustrating. Got that figured out now.**

 **But thank you to those** who **have favorited/followed, and of course reviewed.**

 **Here's Chapter 24!**

 **OoO**

So many things ran through Anju's mind that all she could do was sit and stare at Tajima with wide eyes of shock. What he said couldn't possibly be true. "Th-there's no way… no that's not possible!"

Tajima closed his eyes and sighed. "You wanted the truth and that is the truth."

She couldn't believe… no, she didn't _want_ to believe it. She refused to believe that she had once been close to Madara Uchiha, let alone have been close enough that their parents considered _marriage_. Something like that couldn't be true. "You're lying! Izuna's been my best friend my entire life! He taught me everything!" She stood up from the table and wrapped her arms around herself. "That's impossible! It's impossible!

"Nothing is impossible when hate and jealousy are involved."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. When she came here, she had planned to ask Madara what he knew about her when she was younger and for him tell her nothing and that she was insane. What she hadn't expected was to run into Tajima and for him to tell her that everything she had been seeing was actually forgotten memories. It couldn't be possible. "I don't understand…"

Tajima calmly sipped his tea, the blue and purple bruises on his hands and wrists showing themselves as he sleeves slid down. "If you would sit down and listen, I can explain this to you. I have wanted to explain this for the past seventeen years."

Anju stared into the cup of tea from where she did, deciding whether or not she should stay and listen to Tajima. She could just say he was crazy, but deep, deep down in her gut she knew that she had known Madara. She just didn't want to believe.

After a few minutes of thinking, Anju stepped back towards the table and folded her legs underneath herself. "Okay. Explain Tajima."

With a small nod, he set down his tea and looked at her with a look of gloom. "It all started when you born. Madara took a liking to you from the moment he saw you, as hard as that is for you to believe. You were only a newborn and Madara only a young boy. From the moment Ayame brought you over, Madara was all over you. He wanted nothing more than to hold you and make you smile every single day. We could trust him to watch you and Izuna without fault because of his love."

"I don't believe you."

Holding her gaze, he gave her a stern look. "I have no reason to lie about this, Anju. That boy loved you. He trained you, helped raise you, and made you the strong woman you are today."

"Then why? Why do we hate each other so damn much!? Explain that! No one hates that much without reason!"

"There is always a reason behind Madara's actions, Anju. He doesn't do something just for kicks or because he's bored. There is a goal or reward in everything he does. What was the goal in his hate for you? Well let's see if you can figure it out after I tell you why you two grew apart, that is if you want me to continue."

Did she really want to know why? She came here for answers and she was getting them, even though they weren't at all what she expected. But did she want to know why? Did she want to know more about her and Madara?

"Tell me then," she looked down at her now cold food, doubt in her eyes, "what happened? What happened to the perfect relationship we had?"

"It's actually quite simple, what happened that is. You were young, and you were just beginning to obtain a memory. I almost forgot how someone so young could forget another in a heartbeat."

She gripped the edge of the table, tired of Tajima's game. "What happened?"

The happy and warm look in Tajima's eyes faded, and he lowered his gaze to the table just as she had. "Jealousy."

"Jealousy? Jealousy of what?"

With a sigh, Tajima poured himself another cup of steaming tea. "Of Izuna of course. You see, years ago, we would spend months at a time out on the battlefield. We don't do that so much now, but we use to be gone for months at a time from our families. It was during one of these long battles that that jealousy grew," he met her eyes again and continued, "Madara and I were only supposed to be gone for a couple weeks, but those weeks turned into months and into a very nasty battle in which the Uchiha emerged victorious. While he had been gone, you had attached yourself to another person, someone to look up to and be your companion. That person was Izuna. Your young mind began to forget Madara until he was nothing but a memory, and when he returned… it didn't go well."

 _"_ _You're home! You're both home!"_

 _Tajima chuckled as his wife ran into his arms, despite all the blood and dirt he was covered in. She placed her hands on his face and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "There wasn't word from you for days! We thought that maybe you had died."_

 _He wrapped her in his arms, watching as his other men and women greeted their families with joy and longing. It felt so good to have her back in his arms and to be home. It had been such a long time. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon, Momoko. I'd like to stay in for a while, and be with my family."_

 _She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek before rushing over to their eldest son, who was also filthy from war. His cheeks flushed as she fussed over him, and Tajima chuckled as Momoko scolded him for who knows what. But he hugged his mother, and he could tell Madara didn't want to let go despite his mother's pestering of how dirty he was._

 _As he watched on, he came to realize that there were some figures missing, and he could tell Madara realized it as well. The young boy pried himself from his mother and looked around. "Where are Anju and Izuna?"_

 _"_ _At home, waiting for you two. Shall we get going?" Tajima took hold of Momoko's hand while Madara ran ahead, eager to see his little brother and Anju. Momoko smiled and kissed his cheek again. "Your both in for a surprise."_

 _"_ _Hmm? And what's that?" He gave her hand a small squeeze, waiting for her answer._

 _"_ _You know how Anju and Izzy have never really talked? Well now they're more like best friends. They never leave the others side."_

 _That was strange indeed. Tajima's brow furrowed as he and Momoko followed behind Madara, who was fixing his battle attire. Momoko placed her lips next to Tajima's ear with a smile. "Look at him. He wants to look presentable for her!"_

 _Madara's shoulders slumped and he spun around to face Tajima and Momoko, though neither of them could hold a straight face as they looked at their tomato-faced son. "Would you two shut up! It was uncomfortable!"_

 _Any other time Momoko would have yelled at him, and Tajima knew that, but a flustered Madara was a very rare sight and not one to be passed up. As Madara spun back around on his heels, a gentle smile came to Momoko's face as she stared at her sons back. "She will make him a great man."_

 _Tajima smiled down at her and looked at the Uchiha crest on Madara's back. "And he'll make her a great woman."_

 _When they arrived back home, Momoko left to go find Ayame and have a family dinner between their families, which was a sound idea. Though, before he could change, he stopped near the kitchen as he saw Izuna and Anju tumble in after each other, laughing. Momoko hadn't been kidding when she said they had become best friends._

 _"_ _Otōsan! You're home!" Both Izuna and Anju jumped to greet Tajima, who was still covered in dirt and blood from his battle, but it seemed they did not care. The father laughed and patted their heads. "I see you two have become quite acquainted. Let me change and we'll go out, alright?"_

 _The two nodded in agreement before they began wrestling on the floor. Tajima heard something about dishes, but he merely watched the scene from the hallway. How a few months and young forgetful minds could change things._

 _"_ _Break it up! You're going to hurt her!"_

 _Roughly, Izuna was pulled from Anju and held by the front of his collar by his older brother. Anju stared at them, shocked by Madara's rudeness. "Madara-san! Put him down!" Madara did as she asked, and she ran over to Izuna and hugged him, but glared at Madara. "Don't touch him like that!"_

 _Madara's eyes widened at her actions and words. She put her nose in the air and walked away from him, holding Izuna's hand. Even Tajima, who was watching silently, was at a loss for words. The protectiveness she had for Izuna… it was as if she had completely forgotten who Madara was. And Madara…_

"To this day, I've never seen that look on his face. Not even when his mother died. Never has there been so much pain engraved into Madara's face as it was the day you chose Izuna over him. That's when his jealousy ensued. You ignored Madara almost completely and gave all your attention to Izuna."

Still in a state of shock and disbelief, Anju stared down at the table, having lost her appetite. "So that's why he hates me?"

"I don't think he remembers any of it. The jealousy he had turned into a strong hatred that clouded and changed his memories of you. Not long after that incident, it was as if you two never existed to each other. Any mention of it and Madara called us liars."

"Incident? What incident?"

Tajima sighed and rubbed his head. "Madara finally figured out how to get your attention, and that day set in motion your hate for him. Every last drop of it."

 _Today was Tajima's turn and not Hiroshi's to watch and train a handful of the Uchiha's children, Madara, Izuna, and Anju included. Arata was only a newborn and still had a long way to go before he participated in training. For now though, the infant rested with his mother while Tajima watched the kids blow off steam._

 _From the get-go he should have known this would turn into another one of Madara's attacks on Anju, who was still too weak to match his power, and Tajima wondered if she ever would match him. So much had changed over the past year. It was as if Madara and Anju never knew each other, although Anju still harbored fond memories of Madara, he paid them no haste. His hate and anger and jealousy overpowered him._

 _"_ _You can't even defend yourself! How pathetic."_

 _In Madara's strive for her attention, Tajima watched his jealousy evolve into hate, until there was no long loving memories left or an ounce of adoration towards the younger girl. He knew Madara no longer knew the reason he hated Anju, nor knew there was a time he never did, but that didn't stop his subconscious mind from wanting her attention. And there was only one way he ever for it – emotional abuse._

 _"_ _Shut up! Stop saying those things Madara!"_

 _Madara's dark eyes narrowed down at her. "What did you say brat?"_

 _As usual, Izuna's came to Anju's aid and was the only thing that stood between her and Madara's harsh words. And of course, Madara would not lay a hand on Izuna. "She told you to shut up nii-san. Now leave her alone."_

 _This time though, Madara didn't back down. "She has a mouth. She can speak for herself and she sure doesn't need you fighting her battles."_

 _Tajima shifted, ready to intervene if things got nasty. He wanted to yell at Madara, to tell him that she was only four, but with the look in his eyes, he wouldn't listen. All he could do was watch and see where it went. After all, he agreed with Madara. Anju needed to learn to fight her own battles._

 _"_ _I told you to shut up. All you do is bully me! Your words are nothing, Madara! You're nothing, nothing but a coward!"_

 _Madara froze._

 _Tajima couldn't see the look on his face, but he could sure feel the anger boiling up inside of his son as Anju's words settled in on him. He couldn't have reacted fast enough._

 _A scream followed by a loud slap sounded through the clearing. Tajima was frozen in place. Anju lay on the ground, a hand over her cheek, and Madara stood above her, his hand still held in front of him as if his hand still rested on her face. "That's where you're wrong, little Anju," he crouched down and looked at her, "you are the one who is nothing. You are weak and powerless. You know nothing of war or how to fight. You are and always will be nothing."_

The words Tajima spoke rang through her head as if it had just happened yesterday. Those words had stuck to her, glued to her mind every day. A burning sensation filled her chest and she clutched it. They still hurt.

"Momoko was right about one thing," she slowly looked up to meet Tajima's gaze, "he did make you a great woman."

Rage boiled inside of her. Every incident with Madara flashed through her head, along with every word he said to her. "He bullied me! He beat me! He tried to destroy me!"

"But he didn't, did he? Tell me, Anju, do you think you'd be the same person today had Madara not been cruel like he was? You were a spoiled, pouty princess after all. Do you honestly think you would have turned out the same way? Sure it's not what Momoko and I were expecting, but you have to admit, Madara made you this, or at least pushed you there."

And Tajima was right.

As she looked back, she knew that Madara was the reason why she pushed herself so hard. She wanted to prove him wrong. She wanted to be as strong as him. She wanted to show him she wasn't worthless. All because he bullied her. As cruel as he may have been, even she could not deny that if it weren't for Madara, she might still be the spoiled princess that Tajima said she use to be.

"I have one last question for you, Tajima."

The old man nodded calmly. "I'll answer the best I can."

"I know I came here for the truth, but what did you hope to gain by telling me all of this?"

A warm, loving smile slowly spread across Tajima's face, as if he was recalling a happier time. "The past cannot be changed, and that may be for the best. You are happy with Izuna and he with you. A long time ago I would have told you this in hopes of bringing you and Madara back together, but that isn't going to happen. I suppose I'm telling you because you deserve to know about your forgotten past, but also because I hope you and Madara can become friends. I know deep down he hopes for the same, but Madara isn't good at recognizing feelings other than anger and sorrow. He may not know it, but he needs a friend like you, and I blame myself for his lack of emotions."

Would it be possible? To become friends with Madara? She didn't mind him so much anymore, but they had quite a history – half of which she didn't even remember. But what would Madara think? Did he even remember any of this?

"I think we're both to blamed for Madara, to be honest. I unintentionally broke him, deterred him from love and towards anger and hate. And you made him a weapon for war. Not a great combination if you ask me."

Tajima's brow rose up. "You're surprisingly calm about this."

She shook her head and stood. "No, I'm far from calm about this. It's a lot to process. I need… I need some time alone," she made a quick bow to Tajima, "thank you, Tajima."

As she turned her back to him, Tajima opened his mouth, wanting to tell her something else, but sealed his lips, for it was not his place to say these words. It would only cause Anju more unrest, and he had put a lot on her plate to digest. Only time would tell how she would take this news.

 **OoO**

"I'll admit…you're strong…much stronger than I…anticipated."

Hisen sat on the ground, Kouzai's cloak weakened and his clothes covered in blood. He had close to no chakra left. He was on his last legs. And Neikan…

The man that played host to the demon still stood, tired but otherwise unharmed. They had turned the earth into their battleground, leaving it permanently scarred. They had created an entirely new landscape, but at what cost? Neikan was obviously inexhaustible, but Hisen…

He covered his mouth as blood came through, courtesy of the broken ribs and kunai in his stomach. His vision was blurry and he knew he could no longer stand. His left leg was broken and the other he was just too weak to move. All he could do was lean against his right arm, the only part of him that wasn't injured.

The deep blue, glowing marks began to recede signaling that Kouzai had reach his limit. _'He's too strong…much too strong…'_

 _'_ _We can't quit Kouzai. We have to fight.'_

The beast's eyes began to unwillingly close. He was too weak. _'I can't. My chakra has been drained and it will be much too long before I can fight again. I have failed you, Hisen.'_

Staring at the yellow-eyed man before him, the black tendrils dancing around him, Hisen gritted his teeth in anger. His eyes flickered, from that man to Madara, Izuna, and the rest who were fighting. If Neikan could do this to him, then what would he do to his fellow Uchiha?

Though his legs felt like jelly, Hisen stood, limping on his broken leg while ripping out the kunai lodged in his stomach. He had exhausted the four chakra natures he had come to master and his sharingan, but he would go down fighting. _'I'll do this with or without you, Kouzai. I'd prefer with, but if this is how it has to be, then so be it.'_

With no answer, Hisen closed his eyes and reopened them, showing off his glowing red eyes. The yellow-eyed man smirked and twirled a sword in each hand. "When I'm done with you, I'll be taking Kouzai as my prize. And after that, the rest of the Uchiha."

The yellow-eyed man charged for him, and Hisen blocked both the swords with his kunai, but what he hadn't seen was the man coming up behind him. As he turned his head, he knew this was the end. All his hard work and now he would meet his end. He wasn't ready, not even close.

The white chakra cloak of his that had been receding suddenly consumed his body again and one of the tails wrapped itself around the man from behind, and flung him into the ground. _'We're in this together, young one. I will not let you fight alone.'_

Hisen nodded and proceeded to make hand seals. A rush of chakra filled his body, though he did not know where it came from. As he made his seals, a large fireball came flying at him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge it, and Kouzai's cloak was much too weak to withstand the flames. Something clicked in his mind, and he switched up the signs as quickly as he could.

A large jet of water spewed from Hisen's mouth, colliding with the flames and cancelling out both jutsu. Steam obstructed his vision, but when it cleared, Neikan still stood in place, his face skewed into a look of rage. "You insolent brat! How dare you!"

Pain shot through Hisen's chest, and he kneeled down onto the ground. He glanced at the tails on his cloak, and watched as a fifth tail appeared. _'Why is he so angry?'_

Before Hisen could get an answer, he was cut short. Blood spewed from his mouth as a black bladed sword pierced through his gut. The yellow-eyed man glared down at him, but there was a change in his eyes. His pupils had gone from round to diamonds, with a small dot on each side.

He tried to move, but his chakra felt different. It felt sick and weak, if that were even possible. "There's something special about this blade, you see. It's infused with Neikan's chakra. Neikan's chakra is like a poison, and once it attaches to yours, it slowly kills you from the inside out, like it was supposed to do to your sister. But you are too much of a nuisance to let that happen."

The sword was ripped from him and he fell to the ground. Those yellow eyes stared down at him, glaring with hate. "With you finished, I'm going to move onto your precious clan next. Let's see how the great Uchiha Madara fairs against a powerful demon, shall we?"

All Hisen could do is watch as the yellow-eyed man walked away from him and towards other ensuing battles. Madara stood a good chance against that man, but Hisen knew the Uchiha would lose this battle and all its men. If he was meant to defeat Neikan and failed, what did that say for the rest of the Uchiha, Izuna and Madara included?

"Kouzai…please…there has to be…something…"

The beast seemed to have ignored him, but Hisen's spirit was not failing. Whatever it took, he would prevent Neikan from harming anymore of his clan. Madara needed to fight Hashirama, and Izuna needed to fight Tobirama. Neikan was his responsibility and he would not fail.

He held his hand out, as if he was going to touch Neikan, and he smirked. There was burning sensation in his palm and then he closed his hand into a fist around the yellow-eyed man. "Let's see you get out of this." In a flash of lightning, the yellow-eyed man was gone, and Hisen was drained. He didn't know how he did that, or what it was, but Neikan was gone, and with him gone, some of the Senju began to retreat. He had done his part, and with a smile, closed his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23: Anju

After Tajima's revelation, Anju's life turned upside down. She had a hard time deciding what was real and what was not, and what she could believe. Now that things had been put into perspective and she knew the truth, she realized that her entire early life had been a lie. Those memories she thought she had made with Izuna slowly faded until Madara filled them, unlocking the truth behind the lies her mind had formed.

Memories where Izuna had brought her flowers from his mother's garden and played tag with her to keep her entertained were nothing but a lie. The Izuna from those memories disappeared and now she could clearly see that Madara was the one who had done all those things for her. Each day brought on new memories and corrected the old ones. She didn't know what to feel anymore, or what to think.

In the midst of her unease and the information she was trying to comprehend, she managed to snap out of it for a moment just to avoid running into a wooden post. She quickly side stepped with a spin, easily avoiding what could have been an embarrassing moment. Her almost screw up caught the attention of Eiko, who watched her with concern. "Are you alright, little sister? You've been out of it lately, and this just proves that there's something else going on. Is there something you want to talk about? Something that's troubling you?"

No words could explain how desperately Anju wanted to confide in Eiko and tell her all that had been revealed to her about Madara and the past, yet when it came down to it, this strange feeling filled her, and she knew that it was better not to say anything. This was something that was going to stay between her and Tajima, and Madara when he returned. And she debated on whether or not to tell Izuna.

Even though these recent revelations had not changed her feelings for Izuna, she knew he would begin to think otherwise. If she had learned anything, Izuna's greatest fear was losing her, and she did not want to put that fear in him. They were in a good place and she didn't want to screw it up.

In attempt to throw Eiko off, she awkwardly scratched the back of her head and smiled. "I'm just worried about Izuna is all. They've been gone for a couple weeks now."

Taking the bait, Eiko gave her a reassuring smile and waited for her to join her side. "I think they're alright. If they weren't, I think I'd be able to feel it, and you as well. They should be back soon, I hope."

Anju hoped for the same as she watched Ren and Ken fly overhead. "I hope so as well. I miss Izuna and Hisen."

Giggling, Eiko took hold of Natsu's hand and Haruna's hands. "I think Hisen will be fine. He's got that power within him now. If the Senju didn't fear the Uchiha before, they should now."

Even so, Anju couldn't shake this feeling of dread. In previous years she had learned to not ignore this feeling, for it was usually correct. Never once had her gut instinct failed her, and this time would be no different. Something was wrong and she knew it, but she knew better than to say anything in front of Natsu and Haruna. Natsu would worry about her father, and Haruna the only family she had left, which was her father and older brother. Her mother had died in battle not long after Haruna's birth. It was best to keep this to herself, for now.

"I don't see why you're always so worried about Izuna." Hakuoh's smooth, pleasant voice joined the conversation, her narrow eyes empty as she stared at Anju. "You know he'll come back safe. He's the strongest Uchiha next to Madara-sama. You shouldn't worry about something so petty."

Anju came to a stop in the dirt path, angered by Hakuoh's words. "Because I love him and I care about his safety like any good wife would."

With arms crossed over her chest, Hakuoh continued to walk with a swing in her step as always. "That's right. You get to play good wife now since you're useless. How's that going for you? Do you like being bosses around and taken advantage of by a man whore?"

There were few times Hakuoh was able to render Anju and Eiko speechless, and this was one of those times. What the hell crawled up her ass and died? "Hakuoh, that was uncalled for! Watch your tone!"

Hakuoh merely shrugged and kept walking, while Anju still stood in place with Eiko and the two children. "I'm merely speaking the truth is all. Izuna-sama slept with most of the women in the clan until he was bored with them. What makes you think you're any different, little sister?"

Anger coursed through her veins. She dared to start something with her? And about Izuna no less? She would not stand for it. She stepped forward, but her wrist was caught by Eiko who held her back. "Don't. She's not worth it Anju."

Gritting her teeth, her sharp eyes darted between Eiko and Hakuoh, trying to decide what was the right course of action. She wanted and needed to defend Izuna, since he was her partner and his keeper, but Eiko had a point. Hakuoh was just trying to start family drama and ripping out her throat would only fuel that fire.

However, she didn't care.

"You will not speak of your clan leader in that tone or in that way! And as the one partnered with the clan leader, you will not speak ill of me or my partner! Doing so is the highest disrespect of your higher-ups!"

At the end of her speech, Hakuoh stopped and turned around, a bitchy smile on her face. "I'm sorry, but you're not a shinobi anymore, are you? You are weak and useless, unlike myself of course. You can't fight anymore and are the definition of a housewife – defenseless and weak. How Izuna picked you for a wife is beyond me. It won't do his bloodline any good."

"So that's what this is about?" Anju's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stepped towards Hakuoh, their faces just a couple inches from each other. "You listen here you slut," Anju grabbed Hakuoh's collar and yanked her face down to her level, as there was a few inches difference between them, "if you go anywhere near Izuna or say any more about this, you will find that I can fight and no less forgiving than I was before. I will end you."

Hakuoh freed herself from Anju's grasp and fixed her attire. "You won't do anything because you can't. I'm faster and I'm stronger than you now. Good luck trying."

As Hakuoh walked away again, Anju reached out, but her arm was caught in a vice grip – it was Eiko. "Don't. You're only giving her what she wants. She's just trying to make you angry."

"Well, it worked." She glared at Hakuoh's retreating figure, the anger and hate inside her growing stronger. And with it, her self-hate and pity. In her vulnerable state, as she tried to figure out what to make of Madara, Hakuoh's words wormed their way into her brain and stood out like a forest fire. The doubt she had before grew until she felt increasingly anxious of Izun's return.

"Anju, you can't listen to her. She wants you and Izuna to fail but I know that won't happen. You love Izuna and it's clear as day how much he loves you. All of us can see it, plain as day. Don't let her tell you otherwise." Eiko smiled at her and placed a hand on her head. "Trust me. I know love when I see Anju, and what you have with Izuna, it's very special."

Was it? Or was she actually just another one of his whores? She knew Izuna the best and knew that wasn't the case, but there was a part of her that was still affected by Hakuoh's words.

Brining her out of her daze was the sounding of a horn, and not just any horn at that. Both her and Eiko froze in place, their heads snapping in the direction of the Uchiha clan gates. That sound meant one thing and one thing only – the warriors had returned home.

"Izuna." She smiled and looked to Eiko, who was grinning as well. "See? I told you they'd be back soon. Grab Haruna and we'll go."

Doing as she was told, Anju walked calmly next to her sister, seeing as she was unable to run on Elder Yuuna's orders and being pregnant. Containing her own excitement and Hakuoh's words forgotten, Anju was ecstatic to see Izuna and her little brother. She was dying to know what had happened over the past couple weeks.

When they arrived, it was like chaos. The wounded were being rushed to their homes for treatment and the dead were being taken away to the cemetery until further orders were given. All Anju could do was watch and stare at the severe injuries that had been sustained in this battle. Something serious had obviously happened, especially with injuries and this many dead.

But she didn't see Izuna, Hisen, or even Madara. They were nowhere to be found.

She stopped a returning warrior by grabbing his upper arm and stared him down. "Where is Izuna?"

A grim look crossed his features as he looked in another direction. "He left with Madara-sama as soon as we arrived. They have Hisen."

She followed his gaze and realized he was looking in the direction of her home. If that's where they had gone that meant only one thing – someone was injured. She nodded in thanks to the man before she ran off in that direction, dodging people as she went.

When she was out of the crowd, she made her way home and that was made easier by the trail of blood that led to the steps of her home. She followed the trail through the veranda until she came to the wing where she and her siblings use to sleep. The trail of blood continued into what use to be Hisen's room, and it was then she knew something had happened to her little brother.

She tried to compose herself before she entered the room, but nothing prepared her for what she saw. Hisen's shirt was gone, and there was a large gash going across his abdomen that leaked blood and a black substance over the floor. Many other cuts and wounds littered his body, but this was by far the worst.

"Hisen." It was barely above a whisper – she could barely hear herself. She fell to her knees at her brother's side, a hand on his cheek. "What happened to you? How are you still alive?"

No answer came from her brother's bloody and cracked lips – just the barely audible sound of his breathing. She felt tears coming to her eyes as she looked on at him. She couldn't lose Hisen. He was more than a brother to her – he was like a son. She had raised him and been his mother figure after their mother died. Hisen meant just as much to her as Izuna, maybe more.

"How he's still alive is beyond my knowledge." She looked up, her eyes meeting Madara's emotionless orbs as he wiped his bloody hands on a towel. Right behind him was Izuna, his eyes lowered. Madara entered the room, a box of medical supplies in hand, and right behind him came Izuna and Elder Yuuna. "He's an excellent shinobi and works perfectly with Kouzai."

"Is that supposed to comfort me, Madara? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I didn't expect it too. I just thought you should know your brother fought until he could no longer move and put that blonde haired brat in the same condition," he crouched down next to her, this time a softer look in his eyes, one she had never seen, "I protected him from most of the damage with my Susanoo, but as you can see, whatever kind of ninjutsu that blonde brat used broke through my defenses." Madara's fists tightened as he looked at Hisen. "Now it's personal."

The look in his eyes – she could remember where she'd seen that look before. When he came with Izuna to tell her her mother had been ambushed and murdered, he had the same look in his eyes. Pain. Guilt. She wanted to yell at him, to take her anger out on him like she had done before, but it was the emotion in his eyes that held her tongue. She couldn't do that again, not when he said he had protected Hisen, her greatest treasure.

"Madara," Anju lowered her voice and reached her hand out towards Madara, hesitating as she reached his shoulder and placed her hand there. Her actions caught him by surprise, for he tensed up and gave her a guarded look. "Thank you."

Madara said nothing. A quick nod was the only response she got and she expected nothing less from him. She couldn't express how grateful she was that Madara had protected her little brother. Out on the battlefield, it was every man for himself. For Madara to go out of his way while fighting Hashirama to protect Hisen, that really meant something to her.

"His injuries are severe. He should have died on the battlefield or on the way here. He's lost too much blood and these wounds are too deep. He shouldn't be alive, Lady Anju." She looked to Elder Yuuna, who was stitching up some of the minor wounds while Izuna wrapped bandages. She so badly wanted to hug Izuna and kiss him and have him hold her, but not now. Not when her brother was on deaths bed – not when he should be dead.

She cupped Hisen's face between her hands, smiling sadly down at him. "How many times do I have to tell you to be careful? Now look at you. You look like a piece of meat in a butcher shop. You baka." A tear dripped down onto his face and another followed until the tears streamed down. "You promised me Kouzai. You swore to me you'd protect him. You swore to me!"

As if in response to her words, she heard a strange humming sound. She looked up only to see the black staff in the corner. That was not where she left it. It emitted a red glow – the same glow that had attacked Madara. Was there some connection between this staff and Kouzai?

Hisen stirred beneath her. She placed her forehead against his, ignoring the staff. "I'm sorry Hisen. I'm so sorry." She opened her eyes, expecting to look down at his lifeless face, but she instead found herself in a black abyss.

She stood hurriedly, nearly tripping over her white yukata. Looking around, it wasn't long before her eyes landed upon a white mass as big as a mountain. Two sets of eyes stared back at her, blood running from them. It was Kouzai in his full size and full glory, larger than the tailed beasts she had encountered but he wasn't in the same shape as they.

Patches of fur were missing, with gashes and blood oozing from nearly every point in his body. Part of his left ear was missing, as well as half of one of his catfish whiskers. _'Anju.'_

Anju fell to her knees next to his muzzle, which dripped blood as well. She placed a hand on his soft white fur and rubbed the spot softly. "Oh Kouzai – what happened to you?"

He bumped her hand, letting her know he was indeed still alive. _'I kept him alive as long as I could. It was thanks to Madara that he's even alive in the first place. I owe Madara my thanks.'_

"Is there anything you can do? Is there anything I can do? I'll do anything Kouzai. This is my little brother and I'll do anything to keep him alive."

Kouzai's second set of eyes closed, deactivating his Bakyugan and leaving him only with the sharingan, which faded as well. _'Hisen is only alive right now because I'm feeding him my chakra, but I can't much longer. He must unlock the sixth nature.'_

"Sixth nature? Kouzai, there are only five chakra natures! And even if there were a sixth, he's in no condition to do such a thing!"

A damaged whisker came and wiped the tears that ran down her face. _'Yin and yang count as chakra natures. Hisen must obtain the yang part of my chakra nature. Giving it to him freely will certainly kill him.'_

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it, Kouzai."

The oversized wolf closed his second set of eyes and let out a noise of satisfaction. _'When I obtained the Bakyugan, I had to absorb the chakra of the person who possessed it. However, it only works with certain people. They must have a high enough level of chakra and be compatible.'_

Anju gripped down on his fur, gritting her teeth. "So someone has to die in order for Hisen to live."

Kouzai's eyes reopened, though this time they were clouded over. _'Not necessarily. During Hisen's battle, he absorbed a very dangerous chakra. I can use the chakra that is poisoning him, but it's not enough. I need another's, and a large amount at that.'_

Something clicked in Anju's mind. She loosened her grip on Kouzai's fur and lowered her gaze to the ground. She would never be a shinobi again, that much was obvious. Women were no longer on the battlefield. Madara exercised her but what good was that doing her? She was holding on to chakra she would never be able to use again.

"Take mine," she met Kouzai's clouded amethyst eyes, this time more determined, "take my chakra. Take all that you need. I don't care if it kills me. As long as Hisen will live, I don't care what happens to me."

 _'You're willing to do that for your kin?'_ Kouzai's eyes closed again. _'Very well then. I will leave you with only enough to be alive. The rest I will take for Hisen and use it to safely unlock the yang part of my chakra – the healing part.'_

Anju smiled at Kouzai, affectionately petting his muzzle. "To believe I was scared of you not long ago. Now you bring me solace. Thank you, Kouzai."

Abruptly, Anju found herself back in the room leaning over Hisen. It seemed that almost no time had passed, for Elder Yuuna was still patching up the same wound. Or she was until Hisen's white cloak of chakra began to envelop him. She sprung away quite quickly for an old lady, and Izuna followed. She could hear him yelling at her but she wasn't really listening.

Hisen opened his eyes, except instead of onyx they had turned to the bright amethyst of Kouzai. He sat up and smiled at her. He cupped her face with his hand and soon she was enveloped by the same white cloak as her brother. "I am in your debt, Anju," his eyes darted to Madara, who was standing with a kunai drawn, "and yours as well, Madara."

 **OoO**

"Get your hands off of her!"

Madara tried to stop his brother, but he wasn't fast enough. Izuna burnt his hands on the white cloak of chakra and he jumped back, holding his arms against his chest in pain. "Damn it! Get it off of her Madara!"

He wanted to listen to Izuna, but he didn't. All he did was watch, for that's all he could do. He was curious as to where this going, and by the time he realized what was happening, he was too late. He felt rather than saw Hisen pulling the chakra from her body, draining her of her life force in the process. He too reached for her now, only to burn his hand. He should have known better, but she would die if someone didn't do something.

"Kouzai! You're killing her!" But he didn't stop. Madara felt as the chakra was drained from her body, until all that was left was just enough to live. He caught her as she fell backwards, passed out from the loss of chakra. He sneered at Hisen – he was killing his sister.

Elder Yuuna came over to Madara and had him lay Anju on the floor next to Hisen. Izuna was by her side in an instant and Madara moved out of his way to the other side of the room, near the staff. There was a strong chakra emitting from the object, one that Madara didn't recognize. He looked between the object and Hisen. It had started emitting this glow when Anju said Kouzai's name. There had to be a connection.

"Madara," Madara looked over to Izuna, who held fear in his eyes, "look at Anju's chakra and then Hisen's."

Madara did as he asked and looked into Anju's chakra. It was gone – all of it except just a tiny amount, just enough to survive and get through a day. Then, he looked to Hisen's chakra. It had grown immensely. It had taken Anju's chakra and nearly tripled it. Even he didn't have that much chakra – _that_ much chakra should kill a person, or manifest itself physically.

He then silently watched as the chakra cloak sprouted a sixth tail, though this one was colored different than the rest. While the other tails held deep blue designs, this held black designs. Clearly it was different from the others, but what was its power? The previous five each stood for one of the five basic chakra natures – what could a sixth possibly stand for?

His unspoken question was answered as Hisen lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. The cloak faded, and with it all the injuries Hisen had sustained. Wounds that should have killed him within seconds healed before his eyes, barely leaving a scar. The only thing actually left behind were deep blue marks on Hisen's wrists, chest, and the black seal on his stomach had turned blue as well.

"What just happened?"

Madara looked over at Izuna, who had spoken the words they were all thinking, and to Elder Yuuna, who looked as if she had seen a ghost. It didn't take a genius to know what had actually happened. "Anju sacrificed nearly all of her chakra to save Hisen. He absorbed it and Kouzai must have converted it into a sixth tail. I'm guessing this tail has healing abilities."

"Extraordinary healing abilities," Elder Yuuna left Anju's side and went to Hisen's, "I've never seen anything like it. No medical ninja I've ever met has this kind of ability, except..."

"The Hagoromo Clan."

It only made sense. The Hagoromo Clan was best known for its healing abilities and was sought after for such before the Uchiha made them an ally – then their healing prowess belonged to the Uchiha and only the Uchiha. If Madara remembered correctly – which he knew he did – the Hagoromo had been in possession of Kouzai for centuries. They had to have learned their healing abilities from the beast.

"I think we're thinking the same thing, Madara-sama." Madara locked eyes with Elder Yuuna, who smiled at him. If the Hagoromo were able to harness Kouzai's healing powers, then Hisen would be able to as well. If that turned out to be the case, the Uchiha would have the upper hand of any and all battles. No one in the clan was a good healer – Elder Yuuna and a few of the women only knew the absolute basics behind medical ninjutsu. With this in their arsenal, the losses of war would not be so great.

 **I'll admit, it's not the most exciting chapter, but that's what Chapter 26 is for! I can't give anything away exactly, which can only leave you to guess what's going to happen. Unfortunately, I can't give preview so you'll have to wait it out. Just because I'm excited about the next couple chapters, I may post sooner than expected, so be alert!**


	24. Chapter 24: Realization

**Sorry about the wait, but I just started my college classes and didn't expect to be this busy. I'm already working on the next chapter, so it shouldn't be long! This chapter probably isn't what you were expecting it to be, but I think the next one will please you all.**

 **Thank you and Enjoy!**

 **OoO**

What was this feeling? A groan escaped his throat as he rolled over, hugging his pillow tightly. He felt like he'd had the shit kicked out of him, that was for sure. There was too much light and every little noise caused him agony, especially the cricket outside the door. He slowly opened his eyes and narrowed them towards the cricket as it sat smugly in the doorway.

"Shut up you stupid insect." It was as if his words only fueled the cricket, for it came into the room just daring him to get off his futon. But he felt like crap. Why did he feel so terrible? It must have been from the battle.

Upon remembering the battle, his eyes flew upon and he shot up. He was in his old room, back at Anju's estate. And weirder yet… he touched his bare chest and looked at his body. There wasn't one scratch on him. No bruises, scratches, or anything related to such things – just unharmed, baby-soft skin.

"Kouzai? You in there, buddy? Care to explain what's going on?" It was dead silence in his head. No nagging or bossing around. Just complete silence. "Alright then you old grouch. Enjoy nap time."

With some time to himself, Hisen looked around his old room, though he had to shield his eyes from the moonlight. Why did something like that hurt him so? It felt like the morning sun yet from the position of the moon, the night was reaching its end. It was strange but manageable and it was the least of his worries. At the top of his list was why he was all healed and next to it was the condition of the other warriors. Before he passed out, he remembered none of it looking so good for the Uchiha. He had to know what had become of them.

He flung the covers off himself, cursing the annoying cricket in the process, though stopped as he looked down at his legs. One had been broken and the other mangled to look like grinded up flesh. He reached out and touched them, to make sure they were real, and they were. "What is this? Genjutsu? Am I dead?" A quick pinch proved him wrong, for he felt the pain. Unless one could feel pain when dead. He was puzzled, and he needed answers. He needed to find Madara and Izuna, since Kouzai was nowhere to be found.

"Let's see if you work as well as you look." Slowly, Hisen got to his feet and stretched out his healed legs. They didn't just look healed, they felt it as well. He was able to make it to the door without a problem. If anything, he felt better, but why? He still needed answers. If he was home, which by the looks he was, then his sister would be in her room. That's where he needed to go first.

Once there though, he couldn't bring himself to wake her. A gentle smile graced his lips as he looked at her, curled up next to Izuna and sleeping peacefully with him. He tilted his head, his smile only growing. His sister was so lucky to have someone like Izuna watching out for her, and Izuna vice versa. They made a good pair, and he would not wake them. He would just have to go looking for Madara now, which was easy enough. He just had to follow his chakra.

"You up yet? I have some questions you white-haired coot." Not even his insults to the proud beast woke him up. The battle really must have done a number on him if he wasn't even in the mood, or didn't have the energy to fight with him or defend his name. He didn't even remember why he passed out in the first place. Last thing he remembered he had been stabbed by that dark blade, and then he woke up here. There was a huge timeframe he had missed.

 _Help_.

His head whipped around. Where did that voice come from? It sounded so…

 _Help us._

The voice came again, though this time he swore he heard weeping. He looked around again but there was no one around him. It couldn't be Kouzai – it sounded nothing like Kouzai. It was distorted, but it sounded like a crying woman. There had to be plenty of women who were weeping and grieving now that they were back from battle… but why was he hearing them? There was only one way to find out, but since that source was exhausted he was left with a harder option – follow the sound. That proved harder than he thought.

There was so much pain going on, and he could hear all of it. Pain. Guilt. Grief. People just asking for someone to end it all and put them out of their misery. It was such a terrible feeling, to feel and hear all of this, and then to pick out just one voice and follow it. There were so many. Trying to single one out had given him headache, but he did it. He came to a veranda that had an open door.

Being the nosey person he was, he peaked his head in the door. There was nothing at first, or nothing notable. He stepped inside, and then there was this tugging feeling, like there was something wrapped around him, leading him to a room with a futon in the middle. Around the futon were weeping family members, as well as wounded. He could hear all their pain, although one stood out more than the rest. It was weaker, smaller, and sick, and by far in the worst condition of all the voices.

"Hisen-san. What are you doing here?" One of them, a stout woman with messy hair and tears streaming down her face, looked up at him with question in her eyes.

Giving a small, reassuring smiling, he gestured to the open door. "I was taking a late walk and I heard crying."

The woman wiped her tears and moved out of the way, revealing a small boy covered head-to-toe in bruises, burns, and cuts. Worse yet, his chest and lower abdomen were bandaged and blood had leaked through. He was in terrible condition.

"That's my older son, Ashita – he's seven," she pointed to the boy on the futon and then to another by his side was also injured, "and that's my second, Jirou – he's six."

Hisen took a seat next to the woman on the floor. His eyes were glued to the dying boy, moments away from his last breaths. He was so young and with such a long life to live and many more battles to fight.

"What are you doing?"

In his thoughts, he had absentmindedly been hovering his hand over the boy's face. "I-I don't know." What was he doing? He tried to jerk his hand back, but it was like something held it in place with a firm grip. _'Stop fighting it. Just let it flow.'_

Finally, the voice he so desperately wanted to hear. _'What's going on? Kouzai, tell me!'_

There was no answer. The beast had never led him astray, so he let the feeling over take him and went with the flow. And when he did, it felt like he had done this a hundred times and a sense of déjà vu came over him. It was like second nature.

His hand began glowing white with Kouzai's chakra, and the dark blue designs that had become permanent on his body spread into his palm. He placed his hand on the boys forehead, then moved down to touch his cheek, and wherever his touch went, it healed. From his cheek he trailed it down to rest on his chest. The white chakra engulfed the boys small body and the wounds that decorated his skin began to fade.

After ten minutes of holding the position, Hisen withdrew his hand – the white chakra fading and the blue marks receding back to his wrists. He waited with the family for what seemed like a lifetime, but it happened. The young boy opened his eyes, though immediately closed them. "It's really bright in here. Am I dead?"

The mother of the young boy wept tears of joy and jumped on her son, hugging him to her chest. "My boy! My beautiful boy! You're alive!" The boy, obviously confused by his mother's actions, looked around to everyone in the room as he hugged his mother.

"How did you do that?" Hisen looked to his left side, where an older man sat, his eyes glossy but no tears were shed. He looked down at his hands, just as confused as the man. "I don't know."

The man pointed over to the other side of the room, where the little brother was crying joyfully and hugging his older brother. Hisen knew what the man meant and knew what he had to do now. There was a whole battalion of soldiers that needed healing and attention, and with this new power, he knew what had to be done.

 **OoO**

There was a tickle on her neck. She groaned and rolled over in the bed, away from the warmth she had become comfortable with and into the cold with the sheets. Just a little bit longer. She was exhausted from the day before and watching Hisen. She needed to rest.

"Anju…Anjuuuu…" The voice tickled the shell of her ear and she shivered. "Go away." She pulled the sheets over her head, trying to block out the annoyance. Just a few more minutes was all she needed.

The sheets moved, and the pest that had been tickling her ear wrapped their arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She grudgingly opened her eyes and turned to look at the pesky man staring down at her affectionately under the sheets. "Good morning."

Her glared didn't falter as that pure smile graced her vision, clearly showing his affections. "I'm trying to sleep. Now stop bothering me." He raised an eyebrow, but before she could see any other facial responses, she was turned her back to him and closed her eyes. This was a rare night, one that had not contained any nightmares. She wanted to take advantage of this sleep for just awhile longer.

Unfortunately for her, her pest didn't agree. He tightened his grip around her and started kissing her neck, cheek, and ear. Being the ticklish person she was, she began to squirm, and that squirming turned into laughter as she found herself pinned under him as he tickled her sides. "St-st-stop! I-Izu-na!" Tears ran down her cheeks as the torture continued as she found herself unable to stop him. "I-Iz-Izuna!"

The tickling ceased after a few minutes, and she was left panting from the abuse she had just received. Izuna smiled down at her, breathing rapidly as well. "Good morning, Anju."

She relaxed, though watched him carefully. "Morning, sleep wrecker."

He frowned. "No good morning?"

"You woke me up, Izzy. I'm tired."

Izuna chuckled. "Well, sleepy head, it's almost noon. It's time for you to get up."

Noon!? She shot up, bunking her head against Izuna's in the process. "Ow! Get off of me! I need to get up!" His laughter filled the room, but he didn't budge. She was sitting now and so was he, but she was caged in. "I need to see Hisen."

He only smiled at her and cupped her face with his hands. "He's healed and he's alright. Just stay with me for a while. I haven't seen you in weeks." She wanted to see her brother, but Izuna pinned her down to the bed with a smile. "He's okay, I assure you."

She sighed and looked up at him. Despite the nagging urge to see her brother, Izuna had his point. It had been a couple weeks since they had seen each other, and it had been the longest they'd been apart. She reached out and touched his bandaged cheek, gently stroking the tender area with her thumb. "You sure are pushy."

"I haven't seen you in a long time, and I missed you. I was worried."

A smile tugged at her lips as he placed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and his eyebrows scrunched together. She placed her hand on his head and closed her eyes as well. "I missed you every second of every day, but now you have safely returned to me."

Izuna's eyes opened, just enough so his onyx orbs peeked through. "And I always will, Anju, because I have you to return to."

His words warmed her heart, and any doubts Hakuoh had placed in her mind faded. He loved her and she could hear it in his words, and she loved him too – more than words could describe. She had been gifted with not only a lifelong friend, but someone who loved her unconditionally and someone she could trust with her life.

 **OoO**

It was noon, and there was still no sign of Izuna, or his beloved Anju. No one seemed worried, or no one except Madara. For his brother to sleep in like this was very unusual, even if he did just get back from battle. Madara himself was quite tired, but he hadn't gotten much sleep. He had been going from home to home – as his father use to – to see how his fallen warriors were holding up. And what a surprise he had found while doing that.

He came to Anju's home, where Izuna had also been calling home for quite some time now. As soon as he entered the estate he became uneasy, which happened whenever he came here or when Anju and Izuna spent the days at his home. Honestly, he missed rooming with his little brother and waking him up. Now, he was all grown up and moving on. He had to admit, it stung a little, but their bond had not wavered.

His feelings changed the moment he looked into Anju and Izuna's room.

An uncontrollable rage filled him and his chest, as if a someone was reaching into his chest and squeezing his heart tightly. He gripped the wooden frame firmly, though not enough to break it. His eyes narrowed down upon Izuna and Anju, and not onyx eyes, but eyes of blood red as his brother hovered over her and kissed her neck. He didn't need to lay eye to this scene for more than a second to know what was going on.

Trying to act calmly, he folded his arms over his chest and deactivated his sharingan, all while clearing his throat. "Enjoying ourselves are we?"

Upon his words, Izuna's head snapped up to meet the eyes of his brother. "What the hell Madara!"

For some reason, a twinge of satisfaction spread through him as he interrupted and stopped what they were doing before it could get any further. His brother removed himself from Anju, who was slightly red with embarrassment. He had to admit, he didn't think he'd ever seen her embarrassed. Izuna slid out of the low-rising bed and glared at him, but Madara shook his head "Oh I'm not here for you, little brother. I'm here for her."

Izuna's fist clenched, but a small hand wrapped around his and he calmed. Anju stood next to him in a black sleeping yukata, obviously still tired by the look in her eyes, though he had expected a different look in them after the attention she had just been receiving from Izuna. Maybe she was better at hiding her emotion than he thought. "What is it, Madara-sama?"

"It's your little brother, Hisen."

It was as if Izuna no longer existed. She bolted from his side and right to Madara, but she was not yet use to having such extremely low amounts of chakra and tripped. He merely reached out and grabbed her, putting her back on her feet though he held her up with a gloved hand on the middle of her back. "Easy now, Anju. You gave all your chakra to Hisen and you need to recover. I will take you to him."

When faced with the fact her brother may be in danger, Anju had completely forgotten about Izuna, who had put on his usual long blue shirt and begrudgingly walked beside them. "Is he alright? Wait, why aren't we going to his room? Where is he?"

When they got out of the estate, Madara realized he still had his hand on her back and promptly removed it. It seemed neither Anju or Izuna had noticed. "At some point in the night he thought it wise to go for a stroll. What has become of that stroll will amaze you as it has amazed myself."

Curiosity sparked in her eyes at his words and what had been her following him due to concern turned into her following more willingly. "I don't think I can thank you enough, again, for protecting Hisen, saving him even. I know on the battlefield it is every man for himself, and I do know you enjoy battling Hashirama."

His eyes fluttered over to her. She was looking up at him, having to tilt her head back some to actually look him in the eye. There was such sincerity in her eyes. She was trying to make a genuine conversation and not her usual forced one out of fear. "The way you feel about Hisen," he glanced over at Izuna, who was staring ahead lost it thought, "is exactly how I feel about Izuna. I would die for him and do absolutely anything to protect him and make sure he is happy."

She nodded and looked ahead. "I understand."

Instead of answering her, he led her and Izuna inside another's home. He stopped in the doorway, with Anju next to him and Izuna behind them. "Just watch." Madara followed her gaze, making sure she was watching what was happening. Hisen placed a glowing white hand on a man's forehead, down to his cheek, and trailed it to rest on his chest. All the while, the man's injuries were healing. Only minor injuries remained.

He looked down at Anju. She held a proud smile on her face – the same smile his mother use to look at him with. His eyes softened just a bit. He understood exactly how she felt. For the longest time he had felt that way about Izuna. Slowly, he was beginning to understand her better. He was starting to see what she revolved around, and unfortunately for Izuna, her world did not revolve around him. Not only did she care for Hisen, but she cared for Kouzai as well – a beast.

"How long has he been doing this?"

Madara looked from Anju to Hisen, who went on to heal another. "I suspect he's been at this since before I woke. I've only been watching him for a couple hours."

Anju's eyes widened. "You've been watching him?"

He met her eyes again but said nothing. It was a silent understanding and she asked no more questions. She only watched her little brother with him at her side.

 **OoO**

All the while, Tajima watched from a distance. He had told Madara he would stay inside, since his condition had worsened. He knew he didn't have much time left – it was a miracle he made it this long. It wouldn't be much longer before he joined his wife and Hiroshi on the other side. He was ready to be done with the pain, but he wanted to die as a true Uchiha warrior and former clan leader. If he could just make it to the next battle, his wish would be complete.

He had another wish though, and he knew it was wrong. It was so wrong what he yearned for, and he knew his sons would not forgive him, or at least one wouldn't. He wanted to speak out, to yell and say what he honestly thought was right, but he had little fight left in him and he was saving it for battle.

"You should be inside, Tajima."

He rolled his eyes at Elder Yuuna's nagging and continued to observe. "If I'm going to die, it will not be in that house."

She stood next to him, watching as well. He followed her gaze and found that her eyes were on the same as his. He couldn't help the small smile on his lips. So few knew the truth, for they had forgotten it, just as Madara, Izuna, and Anju had forgotten it. But it had been imbedded into Madara and Anju's memories, and now they knew.

"I don't understand. In all my years…"

Tajima looked at Elder Yuuna, who's eyes were saddened and glossy. "He loves Izuna more than anything else in this world, including his own happiness. Not that Madara even recognizes what that is."

"Oh but he does," Elder Yuuna looked up at him, "I see it in his eyes. He doesn't know it, but his soul does. I have seen many fall in love," she looked back at Madara, "Madara is no different. He may not know it, but she's what he wants."

And Tajima knew she was right, for he saw and believed the same thing. Madara got so worked up whenever Anju's _name_ came up. And then when he would see Izuna and Anju together… Madara could deny it all he wanted, but Tajima knew firsthand the signs of love and jealousy. Madara had extraordinary chakra and fighting abilities, but he was just like any regular man when it came to love. If only he had realized it sooner.

 **OoO**

 **So who will it be? IzunaXAnju or MadaraXAnju? Yes, I do already know who is going to end up where, but who do you want to see end up where? I'm just curious and don't be shy.**


	25. Chapter 25: Trust In Me I

**I really loved the feedback! That was awesome!**

 **OoO**

This was all just so much. Soft, velvety silks with so many colors and patterns. Shoes too comfortable to even walk in. And then there were the softest bed sheets to ever touch her skin. All for the love of her life. He smiled through it all, just because he thought it made her happy. He should know this isn't what made her happy, but that didn't matter now that she couldn't fight. There was a chance before, but with no chakra now, it was a dead dream.

She didn't fight it when Izuna bought her elegant kimono's and walked her around to show them both off. Was this how he was with weak women, women who were not strong enough to be shinobi? It was insulting, but how could she say that to him? She had no fight left in her. All that fight left the moment she woke up from her near death experience, and what remained was destroyed when she made the choice to give her chakra to Hisen. All of this was because of her choices and her choices alone.

A sigh left her lips as she stared out at the courtyard from the veranda, watching Hisen train with Kouzai in a physical form. Her body was draped a couple layers of thick, elegant fabric, each with its own design. A dark blue, then a light purple, and on top a light blue patterned with flowers. With the summer heat rolling in, wearing such a thing was causing a layer of sweat to form on her neck.

"It looks like your chakra has done Hisen some good," she glanced over, catching sight of Madara leaning against the post next to her, his arms crossed and a foot against the post, that blank look on his face as his gaze shifted to her, "although, it has had the exact opposite effect on you."

She turned towards him, leaning against the rail. He no longer looked at her, but back out at Hisen and Kouzai, who both sat under the shade of tree. "And who are you to be concerned about my wellbeing? You have no idea what you speak of. I'm fine."

"That's a lie."

Her eyes narrowed at him. His steely gaze was back upon her again, unwavering even in her irritation. Who did he think he was to come to her and tell her how she felt? "You don't know how I feel, Madara-sama. I have a loving partner. My brother is safe. I love Izuna. I'm happy."

The older shinobi and clan leader closed his eyes, a 'hmph' sounding from him as he looked upon her, and she watched as a certain anger filled his gaze. The look in his eyes – the anger that filled them. She fully turned towards Madara, instantly taking notice in his change of mood. "Bullshit."

She opened her mouth to yell at him, but a gloved thumb stopped her lips from forming words. Madara hadn't even moved his position. He merely reached his hand out and silenced her. She didn't know what to do except stare at the hand touching her face. After a moment, Madara removed his thumb from her lips. As she looked to his eyes, she was immediately met with many memories in which Madara had done the same thing to silence her when she was little.

"Will you listen?" She touched her lips with her fingertips, for it still felt like he was silencing her, yet his arms were back over his chest. Since no words formed, she merely nodded. Why she was agreeing to listen or to even stand there and take his idiocy and absurd words was something she couldn't comprehend. But she stayed.

 **OoO**

Madara turned his back towards her and began to walk in the opposite direction. Soft footsteps came behind him until Anju was at his side. His eyes flickered over to her and that ridiculous kimono Izuna had her wear. As a shinobi… no, former shinobi, Anju shouldn't be wearing such things. Such a garment was disrespectful to her previous position in the clan. He felt offended just looking at it.

"You may be able to fool Izuna, but I'm not as easily blinded as my brother. You have been fooling him this entire time but I can see through your façade, as I have been. When will you stop the self-destruction? When will you allow yourself to be happy?" He could see the sweat beading against her neck. Why would his brother have her wear something so thick in this heat? Was he so blinded by the prize he had obtained that he had forgotten her to be a living human being? Even he, a leader and head of the Uchiha Clan, a man who killed mercilessly and showed no emotion no matter what, and generally showed no compassion for anyone but his own blood, recognized her as a person, and not just as a woman...

"Izuna is gone on a mission. Take a couple of those layers off before we go out." He stopped near one of the wings, where she could go in and take a layer off if she pleased. "It'll get hotter once we begin walking. Your choice."

They became locked in a staring match, with neither of them blinking or making a single move to get out of the others way. A spark lit up her eyes – one he hadn't seen in a long time. That spark reminded him of the old Anju – the one who fought for what she believed in and didn't let anyone push her around, including Izuna.

Finally, after a few minutes of staring each other down, Anju sighed and looked at the side room. "I have nothing else to where, and I still have enough dignity left to not walk around the clan in the thin layer of this wretched thing. I'll have to endure."

At the realization that she had nothing else left to wear, Madara became angry towards his brother. Izuna was stripping away who she was, bit by bit – just like he did with the weak women of the clan before he made the decision to court Anju. He wasn't going to make her walk with him in the heat in layers of thick clothing. He was cruel, but not that cruel to Anju.

He didn't say anything else, but instead motioned for her to follow him. She walked by his side in silence as they came to a shop within the clan, one she raised an eyebrow at. "Clothes? I have clothes Madara-sama."

He looked back at her and waited for her to step inside first. "What you are wearing should offend you. It offends me and I'm just looking at it."

She raised an eyebrow, seemingly confused at first, but she laughed and smiled. "I could only imagine if you were wearing such a thing, Madara-sama."

His eyes narrowed at her as she walked inside, though not in anger or warning. He looked from her back to the woman in the shop, who bowed her head to him. "Madara-sama, what can I do for you and Lady Anju this evening?"

"Lady Anju is in need of the usual attire, which I'm sure you have. Long shirt, split on the sides. It would be more comfortable in this heat." Anju looked at him, going to protest, but he placed his thumb against her lips, silencing her once again. Just this one simple action was enough to pacify her as the women brought out a dark blue shirt with a belt and handed it to Anju. "If there's anything else you need, I'll be here, Madara-sama – Lady Anju."

Madara simply nodded to the woman and then looked over at Anju, who was staring down at the clothes with a thoughtful look on her face. "Put them on and we'll get going."

"But the-"

"She'll take care of that dreadful thing. Just leave it and put the shirt on. You'll feel better."

With no further argument, she sighed and went into a room. Madara in the meantime went outside the small shop and looked up at the sky. Ren and Ken were circling above him, waiting for their master to come out from the building. He whistled, and much to his liking Ren came and settled himself on a branch above Madara. The bird of prey tilted its head to look at him and Madara did the same to the bird, staring it down. Anju was lucky to have such beautiful birds of prey at her disposal. It was sad they were now confined to the clan, as they listened to no one but Anju.

"I never thought I would miss this so much." A sweet, hopeful voice met Madara's ears. He turned his head to see the owner of the happy melody and froze. Anju was looking at him with biggest smile on her face – not a fake one, but a genuine smile, the first he had seen on her in very long time. But it wasn't just her smile, it was the way she looked in battle attire. She looked like her old self again. Her hair was longer, but she looked like her happy self. He found himself staring, taking in a sight he thought he would never see again.

A soft smile tugged his lips upwards slightly. Such a simple thing had brought her more joy than anything Izuna had given her in the past weeks. "Battle attire suits you better than extravagant, miserable clothes. Now we can walk."

It was an odd sense of déjà vu. She was back in the battle attire, with the Uchiha crest shown proudly on her back and her head held high with pride. She looked ready for a fight and he thought for a moment maybe they were going to battle, but a quick look at her chakra brought him from that fantasy. He had to remember why he was doing this and what the plan was for the evening. He didn't do anything without reason or a goal in mind, and this was no different.

"Well, Madara-sama? What's the meaning of all this? You come into my home and question my life, silence me, have me put on these clothes, and now we're walking into the forest. Why?"

Madara looked down at her next to him. She was looking ahead, her arms down at her sides and covered entirely by the overly long and large sleeves of the shirt she wore. He looked away from her to the forestry in front of them as well. "There used to be this spark in your eyes," he felt her gaze upon him and stopped as she did, and looked down at her again, "more like a firestorm. They blazed with defiance and challenge and were as wild and beautiful as flames themselves. That storm in your eyes is what made pissing you off such fun to me. It would get brighter with challenge and make you fight harder for what you wanted and believed in. But ever since you woke, that storm has not surfaced. It did when the Uchiha were betrayed by the Hagoromo, but not once since."

He fully turned towards her, towering over her small form. "This isn't you. I may not have liked you before, and I may still hold ill feelings towards you, but what you have become is not fit for a shinobi as strong as you were. What you have become, which is due to Izuna and your own self-destruction, is not who you are. You were the woman who destroyed an entire Senju army with Izuna. You ran reconnaissance missions that results in valuable intel against various clans. You single handedly annihilated the Hattori Clan. That's who you are. A shinobi. I frown upon women fighting in battle, as I believe they belong in the clan, but you are not a weak woman and do not belong with them."

For a while, all she did was stare at him, and he stared back, trying to predict what her reaction would be. It was not easy for him to say any of this, but he was an honest person and could no longer just sit by and watch as Izuna helped Anju destroy herself. His brother was blinded by his love to see what was really happening and Izuna would no longer listen to him. He had to do something.

"Madara-sama… this was my decision. The moment I decided to give Hisen my chakra was the moment I decided I would no longer be a shinobi. I no longer deserve that title nor do I want it. I am just like the rest of the women in the clan now and I will behave as such, like the good housewife I'm wanted to be. I thank you for trying to humor me with the training, but you know as well as I that it was going nowhere. I was getting a false hope. It's time for me to become the good housewife I'm meant to be and make Izuna happy, just as you have been asking me to."

"You think that training was a false hope? Did you really expect to have results in a couple weeks? Your chakra was sick and your body weak. You would have killed yourself!"

Her eyes blazed as he yelled at her and she didn't back down. "Stop pitying me! I don't want your pity, Madara-sama! Just let me go on with my life!"

He grabbed her shoulders as she turned away and held her in place. "You want to be miserable for the rest of your life? Do you really want to be stuck in this position until you finally die? Look me in the eye and earnestly tell me that you're happy with your life and Izuna, Anju. Do that and I'll let you go. Do that and I'll leave you to destroy yourself."

"I…" Her eyes darted from his eyes to the surrounding forest. "I'm…" Her jaw clenched and her hands balled into fists at her sides. She lifted up her face and looked up at him, pain apparent in her eyes, but she said nothing. She couldn't do it. A smirk tugged at his lips, for he knew he was right. She wasn't happy.

He activated his sharingan, the pattern of his mangekyou taking form instead of the three tomoe pattern. Her eyes stared into his, wide and fearful. His brow began to scrunch together at the expression on her face, and he was taken back when her hand reached up to cover his eyes. "Please, Madara-sama, please don't do that. When you do that, I feel violated and it gives me a migraine."

When she was done speaking, Madara grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his eyes. He deactivated his sharingan as her onyx orbs stared into his own and relief filled her face. He so desperately wanted to see what else went on in the mind of hers, to see what could be done and to confirm his suspicions, but he found himself yielding to her request. His eyes narrowed at her and he clenched his jaw. "Fine. I won't do it."

A sigh of relief left her lips and she retracted her hand back to her side. "Thank you, Madara-sama. I really don't want you invading my head like that."

"I won't if you start being honest with me. I don't take kindly to liars, Anju. Answer my questions as I ask them with truth. Even without the sharingan I'll know you're lying."

"Why should I tell you anything? You don't care about me – you care about your own self-interest! Whatever I tell you, you'll use it against me later!"

He crossed his arms over his chest, slightly tilting his head. "I do care about my own self-interest, but I make decisions that will benefit this clan, even if I don't like it. The decision to train you is beneficiary to the clan. I can't keep going to Hisen's rescue when he's in a tough spot, and neither can Izuna. We have our own battles to fight. That's where you come in."

She scoffed at him and looked up at the darkening sky. "I don't want any part of whatever you have in mind. Just leave me out of your schemes." She looked at him and then turned on her heels. He thought that she would listen if it involved Hisen, but he had been proven wrong.

"If you weren't interested in what I have to say you wouldn't have followed me out here." Like he predicted, she stopped in her tracks and kept her back to him as he walked towards her. "If you didn't trust me, you wouldn't have come here either."

An amused snort came from her as she turned to meet him. He stood about two feet from her, and had to incline his head to look down at her small form. "Where does trust come into any of this?"

"In order for this to work, you have to trust in me, Anju. Do you trust in me?" He held his hands out in front of him, palm side up. She looked down at them, a thoughtful look on her face. If this worked how he planned, that spark in her eyes would return. The smile and joy in her face would once again manifest itself as it was meant to.

Lost in thought, Madara didn't realize what was happening. It was only when he felt a pair of small, warm hands against his palms that he snapped from his daze and looked into the trusting eyes of Anju. "I trust you, and I'll put my trust in you, Madara."

The realization that she trusted him made his body feel a strange way. He searched her face, looking for any signs of a lie or that she was only playing him for a fool. But he found none. She was being genuine, and he could see it in her eyes and in her face. She trusted him.

In that moment, he took her hands and held them in his. She looked nervous, but she didn't waiver or pull away. A few seconds later, he smirked as she gasped and pulled away, looking down at her hands. "What did you do? This feeling I have… what is this power?"

He chuckled and watched her as she moved her arms around in front of her face. "Since you have none of your own, I've given you a portion of my own chakra. As you get stronger and more accustomed to it, I will give you more. I can do the same thing in battle if need be."

She said nothing, and instead chose to stare at him and he was frozen in place. No one had ever looked at him with such happiness, and that happiness was directed towards him. It was such a happiness that tears had formed in her eyes. "Madara..."

In her daze, Madara took a kunai and threw it towards her. She dodged it last second and grabbed the kunai, twisting around to face him. A smirk came to his face as he saw the red glow of her eyes, courtesy of the sharingan. "Careful now, Anju. Your sharingan may not be-"

He cut himself off and dodged one her blows, only to turn around and block another. He held her ankle in one hand and she held his fist in the other. He activated his sharingan, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins, for he was excited at the prospect of a fight. He could see the same look in her eyes as he spoke. "Well, little Anju, shall we dance?"


	26. Chapter 26: Trust In Me II

**This is a lengthy one and it jumps around a lot. There's a lot of information in here, so I don't know if it's good enough, but I tried.**

 **Thank you to those who have been reviewing, and those of you who have favorited/followed!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **OoO**

After an extraneous sparring match, Madara found himself supporting most of Anju's weight with ease as they arrived back in the safety of the clan walls. He stuck to the shadow's, careful not to be seen. Most were asleep by now, or on patrol, or out on missions to help the clan, but he didn't want to take any chances. If he got caught with Anju – late at night and in their current state – he would lose his brothers trust, and he couldn't have that. Izuna was his life.

"I can make it from here, Madara-sama. I have enough left in me to do that."

She spoke up as they came to the entrance of her estate, but Madara did not head her wish. He had to see that she made it to her bed safely. After tonight, he felt as if he was now responsible for her, whether he liked it or not. If he was going to do this, he at least had to make sure she was healthy and well. Or that's what he told himself. In the back of his mind, he knew he actually cared for her wellbeing, or else he would not be doing this.

"Can I ask you something, Madara-sama?" A tired, weak voice spoke up, and he looked down at Anju as she lay her head against his arm as they walked. "I think we're past formalities now, Anju. What do you want to know?"

Her half-lidded eyes opened wider and stared into his, as if trying to read his soul. "Why?"

It was a question he knew was coming, though he hoped it wouldn't. He didn't exactly know how to answer her question, for he didn't know the answer himself. He supposed, part of it at least, was due to what they had as small children. Buried in his unconscious mind was the need to protect this defenseless woman, and then she became able to defend herself. She had no need for him, but now, she needed a firm hand. She needed someone to stand up to her and show her the way back to herself. Since Izuna was too blinded by love, lust, and joy to see what was happening and deal with it, Madara would have to step in and save her yet again.

He looked back ahead of him as they came to her room, where various colored robes with many different patterns lay around. Looking at such things sickened him. Garments of such nobility and extravagancies should be burned in this clan. A smirk came to his face as he thought about outlawing such things, and then a chuckle at how ridiculous that would be. Nonetheless, the clothes of silk and satin – no matter how soft – were not meant for the world of shinobi.

"How you stand such clothes is a talent all its own, Anju." He waited for a response, but when he looked down, he found her asleep against his side. So she was that tired then? Just a few minutes ago she was so full of spirit. He knew she would get used to it after a few more nights of practice – she picked things up faster than he anticipated and last much longer than he expected as well. She sure hadn't forgotten how to conserve her chakra.

Gently, he lay her down in her bed and watched her for a moment, wondering how such a strong and beautiful woman could succumb to such dire circumstances that she totally lost herself and let others push her around as if she were a herded sheep and dress her up like a doll and paint her like a whore. Such thoughts made the blood in his veins boil like water.

Though, as he reached out and placed the back of his gloved hand against her cheek, that anger dispersed and he felt a sense of calm he had never felt before. He gently stroked her cheek and turned his hand around, cupping her face as she slept and her chest gently rose and fell with every breath she took. His thumb traced over her pink lips, slightly parted as she slept and then down to her throat. He splayed his hand over the area, and felt the life that pumped through her veins. With one squeeze he could take it all away.

His hand stopped its descent just above her breasts, but his eyes did not do the same. It was as if this was the first time he had laid eyes on her, even though he had seen her countless times before.

Abruptly, he tore himself away from her. How dare he think such things about Anju! He cursed himself and stepped away from the bed. How could he think of his brother's fiancé in such a manner? If Izuna knew what he had just thought about his fiancé – about her small pink lips, her soft skin, and...

"Damn it!" His anger manifested itself again, and he slammed his fist against the wall. Why was this happening to him all of a sudden? He was not only getting angry with himself, but with Anju as well. Although she had given him no reason to be angry with her, he couldn't help it.

He had to leave. Izuna wouldn't be back until tomorrow evening, and she would be changed out of those clothes by then, keeping their secret safe. He looked at her one last time and was reminded of the last time he had watched her sleep and gave her the nightmare of her life. He was tempted to look into her dreams, to see what welcomed her in sleep, but he had promised her he would not do such a thing and he did not break his word.

Without another thought, especially of the sleeping woman, Madara stormed from the estate, a man on a mission. It had been far too long and he was much too frustrated by things that were not yet clear to him. But there was one thing amongst all these new feelings that he understood, and that's what led him to another's door on the edge of clan walls.

He stood there for a moment, and for some reason could not decide if he should knock on the whore's door or walk away. If he was seen here he would be in trouble.

In the end, as he stared at a door he would once visit frequently to rid himself of his frustrations and urges, he growled under his breath and turned away. He gripped his head tightly between his hands, not knowing what was wrong with him or what to do about it. All he knew was that he was immensely frustrated in more ways than one.

 **OoO**

It was not until the early hours of dawn that Tajima heard the telltale sound of the door opening and closing, as well as a certain pair of footsteps coming towards the table. He simply sipped his tea as the figure came into view and he caught a whiff of a sweet perfume.

"Out again are we, Madara?"

"And?" Madara turned around, his face as blank as ever, as Tajima expected. But something else lay in his sons eyes, something he hadn't seen before. "What of it? I don't need your lectures."

The tall and obviously aggravated Uchiha said no further word as he walked away. Tajima wanted to say more, but his son did not give him the chance. However, he knew something was off about his son. He presumed it had to do with that other perfume on his clothes, one that was more cause for concern than the other.

Tajima sighed and looked down into his tea, thinking about when he first met Momoko and how beautiful she was. "I wish you were here, my darling. Things would be so much simpler if you were. Maybe you could make our son realize that he's in love."

 **OoO**

A groan left her lips as she felt the sun against her face. Her body was so sore from the night's activities that she doubt she could move. But she had to get out of these clothes. If Izuna found her in these clothes, it would not be good for her or for their relationship.

She grudgingly got out of the bed and stripped the shirt, belt, and pants off. She folded them neatly on the bed and went to the closet, trying to decide which suffocating cloths she would wear today

After a moment she pulled out a light blue kimono patterned with peacocks, and two other shades of blue to wear underneath. As soon as the soft silks touched her skin, she wanted to retreat back to the comfort of a shinobi's shirt and pants and proudly wear her clan crest on her back. This soft fabric did not feel right on her skin. No, she wanted the tougher fabric of shinobi attire.

Then, she remembered what Madara said last night, and she felt the blood in her veins heat up. Since when did she let anyone push her around, including Izuna? She used to not take shit from anyone and was very upfront about how she felt and what she wanted. Why should now be any different.

"You know what? He's not here. I'll wear as I please." For the second time that morning, she stripped out of clothes, though she threw these cloths on the floor and returned to her shinobi clothes, but they were dirty and smelled of sweat. She couldn't wear that around.

A light bulb went off in her head and she went into one of Izuna's draws, pulling out one of his blue shirts and a pair of black pants. In the end, she decided to just wear his shirt and put a pair of black shorts on underneath. Now this was more like it. And as the high-collar touched her nose, she was met with Izuna's scent. It comforted her and all she wanted to do was curl up until he came home. Despite his reign over her and making her wear those dreadful clothes, she did love him and missed him greatly, even when he was gone for short times like this.

"Are you up, little one?"

Cut from her daydreams, Anju looked into the doorway to see Kouzai waiting patiently. How long he had been there she didn't know, but his presence – which once frightened her – calmed her now. The beast had been right – those who do not have power fear it, and those who do have power embrace it. After a taste of Madara's chakra, she felt as if she could conquer the world, even if she no longer had that power.

"What can I help you with, Kouzai?"

The large wolf stretched and entered the room. His tails pet her head and around her face, making her smile. They were quite soft, though not the same softness as the fabric, which she was grateful for. "I know of where you go, Anju, and with whom you meet."

She felt sick at Kouzai's words and froze in fear. No one was to know about it. If Kouzai knew, did Hisen? "What do you mean, Kouzai?" She tried to play it off, but as the sharingan made itself known in Kouzai's eyes, she knew he was not playing games. "So you're going to use it against me? Why?"

The beast chuckled and removed itself from her. "I'm just letting you know that you need to take precautions, if you want to continue to train with Madara."

"Wait, so you're not blackmailing me, and you're not lecturing me? Why say anything? What was the point?" She was baffled. What was Kouzai's point in all of this?

The white wolf lay down at the foot of her bed, staring outside through an open door. "It is not my place to interfere with the lives of you mortals, however, even I can see the change in you after one night of training. Hisen and I, and even Izuna and Madara, need you at your best." He stretched and yawned, laying his head on his feet. "Besides, I want to see where this path takes you."

She pointed accusingly at the white beast. "You just said it's not your place to interfere with our lives!"

He chuckled and open the eyes on the left side of his face to look at her in what seemed to be amusement. "That does not mean I cannot watch your life and read it as book."

She huffed at him. "Am I amusing you? Is the great Kouzai content with watching the lives of petty little humans and their petty little problems?"

The white wolf smiled and slightly moved his head, as if confirming what she had said. "I must have some sort of entertainment, and you are quite the entertainer. It's not often someone plays a game as dangerous as yours."

"What do you mean?" She did not get an answer, for Kouzai yawned again and stretched his body out, completely ignoring her question. He was going to say something – she saw it. But what? Her question seemingly forgotten, Kouzai rose his head to look at her. "Now then, I did not come here to argue about the stories of life. You have something that I need, Anju."

"What could I possibly have that you want?"

Kouzai looked at her anxiously, and it was the first time she had ever seen the powerful beast nervous of something. If Kouzai was worried about something, then she should be worried about it to. "I am not allowed to divulge my secrets, just as I am not permitted to interfere with the lives of humans. All my secrets lay in the scrolls that Aito left for you. I've taken notice you stopped reading them."

She sighed and leaned against the dresser in the messy room. "I can't read them. They come in bits and pieces, and I've managed some, but the majority are written in a strange language – the same language as the tablet in Naka shrine. And no one can read that either."

A whine sounded from Kouzai, and he began pacing the room, his tails flowing behind him in his apparent frustration. "I cannot look at those scrolls, and I cannot tell you what is contained in them either. Doing so would be against my code and may have dire consequences. Do you think you could try again?"

"Why the sudden urgency?"

Kouzai stopped and sat before her, his eyes level with hers. "Seeing Neikan and his host, and what has become of his host, has reminded me why I was create…" he paused and growled, though it seemed not directed towards her. "I need to watch my tongue. One slip and I could change everything."

But she had already caught the large wolf's meaning. "You were created because of Neikan? How is that even possible?" Kouzai stood back on all fours and took up position near the open door, the one that lead directly outside. "I've said too much. If you want to know anymore, you must figure it out for yourself."

She went to speak out against the best, but he had already hopped outside, most likely to find his host and friend. Her questions would not be answered by Kouzai, and the mere mention of him telling her his secrets not only put him on edge, but she could see the fear in his eyes. Something told her Kouzai wasn't being completely honest as to why he couldn't tell her what was on these scrolls, or tell her from memory. There was only one sure way to find out.

Dressed in Izuna's shirt, she took out a satchel from one of her draws and poured the contents onto the bed. It was a variety of scrolls ranging in sizes, and with them a pad of paper whose contents were what she had deciphered from each scroll. She immediately began sorting the ones she had figured out, which was only about three, and then sorted others she had partially done, and finally ones she had no idea what they contained.

She sighed and looked at the mess that was created. This would take her weeks to do, if it were even possible. Unlike before though, she had time on her side. With nothing better to do, she picked up one of the thicker scrolls and a separate, untouched pad of paper. Before she began though, she looked up at the staff in the corner. She had a feeling in her gut something about this strange object was hidden amongst this river of knowledge, and she would find out its secrets.

It was not until the sun had begun to set, painting the sky with brilliant colors, that Anju looked up from her studies with red eyes and feeling like she had aged a hundred years. She had managed two other scrolls, though they were not what she was looking for. They were two jutsu – jutsu that could only be performed by Kouzai's host, or Neikan and his host. She had since taken up a second pad of paper, though this one was for taking notes and jotting down hypothesis about Kouzai, Neikan, and their origins. She knew the two beasts were connected somehow, and she had also uncovered a third name – Akumu.

It was name only mentioned only two or three times, and from what she understood it meant "nightmare". It sent a shudder down her spine as she thought of it and she was overcome with a sense of dread. Much like Neikan's name, which was something along the lines of treacherous and wicked, which she understood. But Akumu, when mentioned, was associated with light and good fortune, but maybe she had gotten her translations wrong. After all, how could something whose name meant nightmare bring good fortune and light?

A scree brought her from her thoughts, and she watched as Ken perched himself on his wooden perch in the corner, flapping his wings as his partner came in and placed himself on the adjacent perch. She was actually surprised Ren was not with Madara. The bird of prey had been spending a lot of time with the clan leader. Her look softened upon the bird as he looked at her. He still felt loyal to her and returned home.

She stood and made her way towards the two birds, stopping a foot away and reaching out to rub Ren's head. "You've always been loyal to me and have helped me in many missions. For that I am eternally grateful." As if understanding her, Ren flapped his wings and screed in her direction. She gently smiled at him and stepped away, returning to her bed. A flash of the falconry equipment in Madara's office came into her mind, and her eyes once again returned to Ren.

Unlike the rest of the clan, she had not given Madara a gift when he was elected clan leader with Izuna. Izuna's gift had been her – so he said. But she had given Madara nothing. Things had changed since then. She had begun to realize that Madara wasn't the emotionless person he made every think him to be. And he had done so much for her as well. He saved her life and Hisen's, he trained her, and he tried to make her feel better, though she knew he would deny the last. All she had been able to do was give him a simple thank you, and she knew that wouldn't suffice. A thank you didn't even come close to how she felt towards Madara's actions towards her and her little brother. Something needed to be done. And she knew just what that would be.

 **OoO**

Madara tapped his foot as he impatiently waited for Anju to show. It's not because she was late – she still had a few minutes left – but because of this new found agitation he could not shake. As soon as he thought of her, his blood began to boil and he found himself snapping more than usual. He knew what he needed was a good sparring match, though he could think of other things that would be twice as pleasurable.

"You're late." Madara glared at the small woman before him, even more so when he realized she was not wearing the clothes he had gotten her, and instead a body hugging light blue yukata that showed a generous amount of cleavage. Other men would have looked away, but Madara kept his gaze on the woman's eyes and tried to figure what her intent was.

"Izuna sleeps, but he saw me heading out. I lied and told him I was seeing Eiko, but I didn't have time to grab my clothes." He walked towards her, though she stepped back at noticing his agitation. "Madara-sama, are you alright?"

He snapped at her. "I'm fine."

Unlike others, she didn't back down. She simply raised an intrigued eyebrow and eyed him carefully while he did the same to her. So, she had returned to challenging him? Such a display sent new but not unfamiliar feelings through his veins, and he tried his best to ignore them.

"Madara-sama, instead of sparring first, I'd like to get something off my chest."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Make it quick."

She nodded and walked over to him, standing close enough that he could smell the sweet perfume Izuna had bought for her. He inclined his head down to look at her as she spoke. "I know I have thanked you for everything, but to me it doesn't seem like enough. You have done a lot for me, and I know that's not easy for you in the slightest. I know that you don't have to do this and I want to show you I'm grateful."

Madara backed away as she reached her hand up, and she drew back her hand slightly at his reaction. She smiled and gave him a little chuckle. "Let me cover your eyes." Cautiously, Madara lowered his head and let her cover his eyes, to which she placed her fingers on his eyelids and closed them. "Keep your eyes closed and no peeking."

He tried to open an eye but she slapped his arm. It didn't hurt or affect him, but he humored her anyways and kept his eyes closed. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Hold out your arm." Madara let her take his arm, though he began to feel uneasy and he didn't like that feeling. He tugged his arm back to his side and opened his eyes, staring down at her. She looked up at him, a determined look in her eyes. "Last night you asked me to trust in you, Madara. Now, I'm asking you do the same thing." His eyes slightly widened as she smiled up at him. "Do you trust in me, Madara?"

Did he trust her? It was something he never quite thought about until now. After all that had happened, even in the past, did he trust her? He had to answer this honestly, just as she had done for him last night. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, and closed his eyes as he thought to himself. When he reopened his eyes, she was still staring up at him, waiting for his answer

He held out his arm for her, and gave her a small, almost unnoticeable smile. "Hai, I trust in you, Anju." His words visibly surprised her and it took a moment for her to realize what he had said. When she did, she smiled up at him and he closed his eyes.

With his newfound trust, he let her roll up his sleeve and pull rough leather over his arm. His brow furrowed as he thought of what she could be doing, but he didn't question or peek. The sound of buckles snapping together hit his ears, and then he felt her step to his other side. Then, she let out a high-pitched whistle that pierced his ears.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, he was unexpectedly jerked forward as something impacted his outstretched arm. He was easily able to recover his balance, and when he did he opened his eyes and looked to his arm. Ren was perched on his arm, cleaning his feathers as usual. Madara reached out and pet the bird on the head, to which he flapped his wings.

"Unlike the others, I never gave you a present when you became our clan leader," she held her arm out and Ken landed on the thick leather glove she now wore, "and I remember you said you didn't have the time to train a new falcon, so why not get you an eagle that is already trained and trusts you?"

What was this feeling? What was the warmness that spread through his chest and the rest of his body that filled him with happiness? The only thing he could compare it to…

His eyes widened at the realization – the realization that there was someone other than Izuna that cared about him. And that person was Anju. It was true that he didn't understand his emotions most of the time, since he had been taught to lock them away, but he could recognize when someone was being completely honest and genuine, and that's how Anju was. She genuinely _cared_.

Not wanting this to get the best of him any longer, he returned to his normal composure, thankful that she had been looking at Ken and not him the past few seconds. He turned his gaze to Ren, who was looking at him. No words could describe how he felt. Not one.


	27. Chapter 27: An Angels Laughter

**Sorry for the wait! Been busy lately, but I finally got this chapter done. Also, expect the next update to have the removal of Chapter's 1 & 2\. I don't really see a reason to have them up, as they're just flashbacks/prologues. **

**On another note, I seem to have confused Madara's age with the age of a character in a different story that a friend and I were working on. For the record, Madara is supposed to be 25, and Anju and Izuna 21. I've gone through and read most of the chapters over twice, but if anyone sees anything that says otherwise, please let me know.**

 **On with the show: Thank you for everyone who has favorited/followed, and reviewed this story! Thank you and enjoy!**

 **OoO**

There wasn't a stupid bone in Izuna's body. Something had changed.

Something had changed about Anju. He couldn't put his finger on it, but when he looked at her and she looked back at him, there was a different look in her eyes. And it wasn't just this look, it was in the way she acted. She wasn't afraid anymore. She faced the world with the confidence he loved and let nothing stand in her way. That also meant she didn't need him as much.

He found her leaving the estate more often, sometimes alone, sometimes with Hisen, and other times she left with Madara. Ever since she had given Ren to his elder brother as a gift, they often left with a group to catch wild game. As happy as Izuna was about his brother getting back into a sport he cherished, it was the fact Anju tagged along for these events that bothered him. She was spending less and less time with him, and more time with others. He had to do something about it.

In his worry, he had gone to his father, who had given him advice and an object to help him in his endeavors. Now instead of worried, he was quite nervous, and paced the courtyard of the estate as he anxiously awaited for Anju to return with Kouzai. That was another thing that bugged him. She no longer feared the beast. Now, she let it sleep at the foot of their bed if it did not feel like being cooped up inside of Hisen. So much had changed in her, and he felt like he was losing her.

He heard laughter, and looked towards the entrance to see his beloved laughing as Kouzai grinned that wolfish grin of his. She looked so beautiful, dressed in a royal purple kimono fit for a queen. She truly had become royalty amongst the Uchiha, just as he wished her to be.

"Anju, Kouzai." The pair stopped, and Izuna gave Kouzai a look, to which the beast rubbed his head against Anju and walked away. His beloved gave him a puzzled look and approached. "Is something wrong? You look ill, Izuna." She placed a hand on his forehead when she was close enough and frowned. "You're running a bit of a fever. You should lay down and I'll get you some water."

His brow came together as he looked down at her. She looked so much healthier now, but he had no idea why. Was it something Kouzai had done? It was quite possible, but his gut was telling him something different. He just couldn't figure out what.

"Izuna?" Her hand moved down to his cheek, and he smiled at her. "I have something I want to talk to you about, Anju."

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course. What is it?"

He didn't really know how to approach this. Part of him wanted to run while the other part told him to stand his ground and do what he came here to do. It was easier said than done. He knew it would be better if he just got it over with, since he couldn't find the right words. If she loved him though, it shouldn't matter how he did this.

A shy small tugged at his lips as he leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her curious dark orbs. He knew this was the right thing to do. He was losing her and this is how he would keep her.

"Marry me."

 **OoO**

"YOU DID WHAT!?"

There were many times Tajima had seen Madara angry. There were also many times he saw is son in a rage. However, he had not seen this level of anger in Madara, or anyone for that matter. Even he, who was accustomed to his sons bouts of anger, found himself staring with fear as Madara's mangekyou blazed a bright red, fueled by his rage.

In the midst of it all, Tajima was able to keep himself calm, though it only be because he now knew the truth to Madara's feelings to Anju. This proved it. The seething rage and hate proved it all.

"Madara, you-"

"If you dare tell me to breathe or to take it easy, I will slit your throat."

The threat caught Tajima off guard, but he quickly realized it was no threat as Madara held a short blade in his hands. Tajima had no choice but to activate his sharingan on his son, though it be weak and meager to the power of the mangekyou.

"You _gave_ him _permission_ to _marry her_!? How dare you!" Tajima blocked his sons blow with what strength he had. It was useless. He was thrown against a wooden pillar on the veranda, and given his weakened state, there was no getting up from such an attack.

Looking at his son, Tajima could clearly see why Madara was so upset, even if Madara could not. He could see his face, and these violent, rash actions of his only proved it, but there was nothing he would be able to do dead. He would have to pacify Madara. Pacifying his eldest son was something he was never good at, but Momoko had been quite proficient in calming him down. He had to come up with something quick, before Madara actually did kill him.

A thought came to him, and he took a bold step towards his son. "Why are you so angry, Madara?"

It surprised Tajima, how such a simple question would stop Madara in his tracks. His fists were balled at his sides, his jaw clenched and body tense with rage, and his eyes were of a man ready to kill. Yet, his question stopped him, though at the same time it seemed to make him angrier. "Madara, why are you so angry?"

Silence.

Tajima's eyes narrowed upon his son and then softened. He stepped towards him, but kept a good enough distance in case Madara lashed out again. Usually his son was controlled and kept himself together. For him to get so angry like this…

"Madara…"

"Don't."

He eyed his son carefully, and despite the warning, he opened his mouth to speak. "You love her."

 **OoO**

Is that what it was? What he was feeling? No, he couldn't trick himself anymore and pretend it was nothing. He couldn't lie to himself and say he didn't know what he was feeling or that his father was lying. He was the one lying, but it had taken him this long to finally admit it to himself. And why? He always admitted when he was wrong and when another was right. He didn't hold back and accepted his failures when they came. Yet, when it came to how he felt…

"Love will do strange things to a person, Madara. Do not blame yourself or wonder why this has happened." As always, his father was there to guide him out of his mind and back to reality.

Still, he had a hard time comprehending this. Did he actually... did he really? He couldn't bare the word, for he knew once it came to mind and slipped from his tongue, it would be true. To love Anju was worse than loving one outside his clan – she was untouchable and unobtainable, and it only be for one reason, or rather, a certain person.

He turned away from his father, leaning against the wall. "Madara, you can no longer deny it. I know you see her nearly every night to train with her, and spend most of your days with her. The entire clan and Izuna may think it is a miracle friendship, but I know what it is becoming and you know it cannot happen."

His jaw clenched. As he thought about it, he felt a wave come over him, and his shoulders slumped. It didn't even matter. None of it mattered. "It doesn't matter," he smirked and looked to his father, "so what if I love her? I admit it and then what? I stew in my _feelings_ and watch from a distance? What is the point of all this? Just more torture?"

A sigh came from his father, and he listened as the old man sat on the ground. "I wish I could tell you it wasn't too late," he felt an unfamiliar, painful twinge in his chest, "I wish I could tell you to go to her and get it over with. But I can't do that. You have always put Izuna before yourself without even thinking it through. Taking her away from Izuna…"

"He'd kill himself," he locked eyes with his father, "after he killed me." Even with it out there now, it made no difference. He brought this upon himself. "If I hadn't pushed her towards him, things would be different."

"Back then? That wasn't your fault."

Madara's eyes narrowed towards his father, and he could feel his rage pumping through his veins again. "She was going to leave Izuna, so I put her under a genjutsu nightmare."

His father's eyes widened. "You conditioned her to stay with Izuna? Madara…"

"At the time I thought it was right. I now regret my decision."

There was a silence between them. Madara was made to stew in what he had done, and before long, his fist went through the wall. The thought of her with Izuna made his chest tighten painfully. If this was what it felt like to love, he didn't want it. It all made sense though. How angry he got when he saw them together. It was jealousy. He chuckled to himself. He was jealous.

"Madara," he looked to his father, who was next to him now, "I wish I could provide you some condolences, but there is nothing I can say here. She is with Izuna now, and that is how it will be."

"So I do nothing?"

Tajima shook his head. "You're going to accept your mistake and support your brother. If you truly love her like I know you do, you'll want her to be happy."

"But she's not happy with him!"

"And you think she would be with you?" Madara stood back, knowing his father had a point. She probably didn't even return what he felt - if what he felt was indeed love – especially after his treatment of her all these years.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and found his father looking back at him, a sad look on his face. "When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred. Remember that, Madara."

 **OoO**

 _"Marry me."_

 _She stood, frozen by his words. Marriage? Was she ready to be married? She looked up at Izuna, her eyes wide from shock. Many couples were married by now, and often had a child on the way. Is that what she wanted right now? Things were going great, and her and Madara had become so close…_

 _Looking into Izuna's hopeful and happy eyes though, she knew she couldn't deny him. Whether she was ready or not, she would marry Izuna. She loved him… didn't she?_

 _He placed a hand on her cheek and smiled. "I've found the love of my life and my best friend, all in one person. And that person is you." If it was possible for her eyes to grow any larger, they would have. There was so much love in his eyes – how could she not love him when he said things like that?_

 _"Hai, I will."_

 _Laughter filled the air as he lifted her up and spun her around. She laughed with him through his kisses until he set her on her feet and held her hand up to her face. She hadn't even felt him slip the gold band onto her finger. "It was your mothers. Hiroshi left it to my father. I thought it should be returned to you, and what better way than this?"_

 _She wrapped her arms around Izuna's neck, and for a moment she forgot how unhappy she had been. Izuna's smiling face and his happiness overwhelmed her. For a moment, she was happy._

As she stood out by the river, she started to think Madara wouldn't show. She began playing with the gold band around her finger. Had he had a sudden change of heart? She had honestly begun to think she was worth his time, since they had been spending so much time together. Never did the thought cross her mind that she might actually enjoy Madara's company.

How would she enjoy his company when she and Izuna were married? She wouldn't have time for falconry anymore. She'd have to keep the house in order, feed Izuna and her little brother, help her sister with her kids, and then her own…

"Boo." A frightened yelp left her mouth, and I her disorientated state, she fell right into the river. She sat in the freezing water and peeled her bangs away from her face. There was a beautiful laughter. She was briefly reminded of Izuna's laugh, but this one was deeper. She looked up, and stared as Madara leaned against a rock, holding his stomach as he laughed the hardest she had ever seen.

At first she wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't. She had _never_ seen or heard him laugh before, not even the slightest. A chuckle yes, but that was totally different from the beautiful sound that graced her ears. She thought Izuna had the laugh of an angel, but she had been wrong.

As he calmed down, he wiped his eyes, for he had been laughing so hard that a couple tears escaped his eyes. When he was composed, a bright smile lay on his face. She was standing by that time and approached him. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you smiling?"

She hadn't realized the smile on her lips until she touched her mouth. She shook her head as she looked at him. "It's just, I've never seen you laugh before. Ever. Or smile."

His smile dropped, to which she giggled. She actually giggled. She covered her mouth and looked back at him, and his smile had returned. "You have a very handsome smile, Madara. You should smile more often."

He simply chuckled and tossed her a shirt and pants. Just as his smile was there it was gone, as if it had never happened, but the feeling she had obtained from the joyful noise Madara emitted told her that it had indeed happened.

After a most rigorous sparring match, she found herself sitting atop a large boulder near the river, her back against Madara's. She could feel his rapid breathing, and she was positive hers matched.

"Use less of my chakra with taijutsu, Anju. That chakra is the only reason you are not passed out right now. Taijutsu does not require chakra, therefore save all that you can. Do not waste it."

She huffed and tilted her head to look up at the stars. "Judging by your condition, it wasn't a waste at all."

"Say that to my face, Anju."

A smile crossed her lips. She felt him turn his head slightly and lifted hers to look at him. He had that usual unreadable look on his face, but there was a glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this, and she had to admit, she was as well. Never could she have ever imagined that she would be sitting this comfortably with Madara, like they were old friends, and in a sense, they were. She no longer felt uncomfortable in his presence or unwanted, but like she actually belonged there.

"And what is going in that head of yours?" She locked eyes with him, and all of a sudden his filled with anger. "Is it your recent proposal from Izuna?"

In the past few hours with Madara, she had forgotten all about it. She looked down at her finger and twisted the golden band. What did he want her to say? She didn't really know what to say. She should have been overjoyed and telling all that she saw, but she felt the exact opposite. Suddenly, she felt insecure and scrutinized by Madara's gaze.

"You have doubts."

Her eyes widened. She wanted to scold him, but found that he wasn't looking at her with red eyes, but curious black orbs. "No! How could you think that? I love Izuna!"

The words she spoke only seemed in infuriate him more, and she couldn't understand why. He stood, leaving her alone, and sat on the edge of the boulder. "Love and compatibility are two different things."

She glared at him, the comforting and friendly mood between them gone and replaced with something much more tense. "Oh? And you're the expert? Tell me, Uchiha Madara, how many women have lay in your bed? Ten? Thirteen? What's the count now?" She didn't have to see his face to know his rage. She could feel not only around her, but in her borrowed chakra as well. His rage didn't scare her anymore, especially after that comment of his. She loved Izuna and wouldn't deal with a doubting Madara.

It seemed she had one, as Madara didn't speak another word. She glared at his back, though she stopped when she realized that wouldn't get her anywhere. She instead looked up at the stars and their infinite numbers.

"Five."

She looked back to Madara, who was looking out over the river. What was he talking about? "Five what?"

"Five women have been in my bed, not ten or thirteen. Just five."

Her eyes widened. Did Madara not get around as much as everyone thought he did? She thought he had been with most of the women in the clan by now. "Do you still?" She let the rest of question linger, too embarrassed to finish. It was none of her business, but curiosity got to her. Did he still sleep around?

"No, not in a while. I have different priorities now."

She gave a smile, her anger towards him fading. "The poor Uchiha women. They must be weeping in their beds."

When she saw his shoulders relax, she moved next to him and caught sight of a small smile on his face. He was amused. Looking at him like this, seeing him for who he really was, it was enlightening.

"I do not doubt my love for your brother, Madara. Stop worrying about it."

His smile faded, but hers stayed. The love and concern he had for his brother was touching. It was possible Madara loved his brother more than she loved hers if that were even possible.

"You know, Madara, you're not as dark as you want everyone to believe."


	28. Chapter 28: Fate and Destiny

**Guess who's back?**

 **Here's a long chapter to make up for being gone for so long, and I apologize greatly for the absence. Let's continue with the story!**

 **OoO**

Anju sighed as she went about trying to decipher the scrolls Aito had left her, making just as much progress as she had any other day - which was none. She no longer found time to train with Madara, as she focused all her time into these scrolls, but she got little from them.

Paper littered her father's office, which had become her own. The door lay shut and she posted a paper outside asking not to be disturbed. Kouzai had asked this of her and she would do it, not just for the beast but for Hisen as well. It gave her something else to do while Izuna and Madara went out into battle. Hiden mostly stayed behind, honing his strength and attempting to develop others. With no reported signs of the blonde host of Neikan, it was good to assume that he was doing the same. Anju wouldn't let her brother near death again, or have him experience it.

She huffed and leaned back from yet another unreadable scroll. Next to it was more paper, where she had written what she could deduce with Aito's key, and that wasn't much. It was still the same thing in each scroll, the same words and names but nothing specific.

She glanced at the shadow outside, signaling it was midday. At this time there was no one around, which was perfect. Her body still held some of the chakra Madara had meant her in their last training session a 2 weeks ago. She missed these sessions and spending time with Madara, but she couldn't will herself to stop this. It had become an obsession to deduce the secrets in these ancient writings.

Her onyx eyes glanced down at the scroll and was met with immediate pain in her skull, like a it was being hit with a hammer. Blood leaked from her eyes as well as she activated her sharingan. She quickly wrote it down while it was still fresh and looked it over, as these scrolls seemed to be easily read with powerful dōjutsu. She only had a few seconds to get this all down before the pain overtook her.

"Combining one's chakra with nature energy..." She had heard of this before, but the way it talked about nature energy in here was on a much grander and difficult scale.

 _Nature energy is all around, in everything. Kouzai, Akumu, and Neikan are all made of nature energy and thrive off of it. These beings can draw in nature energy naturally and with it, unlimited power. A host of these beings is able to draw in this same energy._

The scroll broke off into scribbles she could not read once again. She wanted this elaborated. It sounded quite important.

 _Sages may draw in nature energy, combining it with their chakra to enter Sage Mode. Sage mode is not easily attainable in a new host, but they may use it unconsciously, as represented by glowing marks on the skin._

It yet again stopped, leaving spaces in between. This helped her some, telling her where exactly Kouzai's power came from. She flinched as the pain worsened. She just needed to get the last lines down.

 _In the Sage Mode used by the three higher beings, chakra is not necessarily needed. All three beings have great amounts of chakra, which when combined with nature energy only amplifies it. However, I do remember an instance where I had depleted Akumu of chakra and it was still able to create attacks from nature energy only, no chakra required. These attacks were quite powerful, dare I say more powerful, than the combination of chakra and nature energy. I have had this being explain to me how it is done and I have found it quite difficult to use this technique. It has dangerous consequences to ones body when not done correctly, as I have found. I have concluded that although this is quite powerful, and fascinating that these beings, or at least Akumu and Kouzai, are able to make attacks out of nature energy alone through special conversions, I find it near impossible to do without the presence of their chakra. In what I have found successful, my consequences of using this power of theirs results in severe chakra burns and fatigue._

Anju gasped and held her head in pain. Her quill dropped to the floor and blood flooded her hands. When the pain subsided, she blindly searched for the wet towel she had handy and began cleaning the blood from her face.

When she finished, she looked over this new information. She had of course heard of combining nature energy with chakra to amplify attacks and create new ones, but creating attacks from nature energy alone she had not. She didn't see how it was possible, but below the discussion this person - who seemed to have been studying Kouzai, Neikan, and this Akumu - had left a demonstration and instructions of how to use this technique. It was to be used with Kouzai's chakra, but she could see where he had made notes - notes she knew from what she had read described how one without the help of Kouzai could use attacks from nature energy alone.

This appealed greatly to her, and not because of Hisen. This scroll and the technique it contained could be the key to her fighting again. Although this researcher of Kouzai could not perform this, he did not say it was completely impossible and it left her with some hope. She slid the scroll and notes she had taken on it into her yukata for later reading and use away from prying eyes.

Although this scroll had revealed something useful at the cost of what was her last use of her sharingan, it still left more questions unanswered. More specifically, questions she had about this third name.

"Who is Akumu?"

As she spoke the name out loud, a sudden force of chakra seemed to move through her. A very powerful chakra. She looked towards the source and her eyes landed on the mysterious black staff Aito had left in her possession. A strange feeling emitted from it. It seemed to have been triggered by her saying that name.

She felt no one else around, although with a chakra like this she knew someone would be here soon enough to investigate. But she didn't want that. She wanted to know what was going on with this staff and why it only sometimes emitted this great power, and she knew if Izuna or Madara knew if this - or if Madara found out it had happened again - the staff would be taken away.

She took another chance and eyed it carefully, feeling ridiculous for what she was about to say. "Do you know who Akumu is?" The staff sent another wave of this chakra towards her, like a cool breeze, and emitted a deep maroon glow from the twisted pieces of wood that formed a cone at the top.

Another breeze was sent by her, and to her amazement, it brought a new scroll to her and flipped it open across the room. She stood, unafraid of this staff, and walked over it to examine it once again. She touched it and found it cool, but didn't feel anything unusual. It just seemed to be filled with chakra. But how did it hide such and immense power? How did it make itself known only a handful of times? How had no one noticed this power? Did anyone else notice it?

The sense of power faded as she took her hand away. She felt no different than she did before touching it, but her hand was cold. She blew warm air into her palms by cupping them together around her mouth before kneeling down onto the floor to see what this scroll had to offer. Much like the others, she couldn't read much, and she had already used her sharingan once today and wouldn't be able to use it for quite some time, if ever again.

Her eyes moved from symbol to symbol until she reached the end, where a diagram was drawn. She didn't need words to understand a diagram and she wished there were a few more in these scrolls. They might be more helpful that way.

In these drawings, she saw a hand surrounded by chakra, or she assumed it was chakra. It was hard to tell with these old scrolls, and the researchers drawing skills, but she was starting to manage it. This hand was then placed around a darker round object, and in the next it had disappeared. For a moment, she was confused as to why this was done, but it clicked in her mind that this was no mistake, but that the chakra had been used to eliminate the slime.

Her head looked up to gaze at the staff in a suspicious manner. The staff was covered in a similar substance. It had thrown her a scroll that would rid it of the dark, hard substance surrounding it. This confirmed what she had been thinking. That this wasn't an inanimate object, but rather it was alive in some way and reacted to everything around it, especially emotions like anger.

She looked at the scroll and back at the staff. She reached out to it and put it across her lap. With what chakra she had left after using her sharingan, her hand began to glow blue and she placed it on a section of the dark, hard substance at the bottom of the staff. She began to tire, but as she reached her limit, a chunk of the substance fell from the staff and disintegrated as it touched the floor. Beneath where the substance had been, a beautiful silver glow was now present, and she could see an intricate design with it.

Her eyes travelled over the staff. She could feel her chakra within it. It had absorbed it and was making it its own. She decided then she needed to keep what information she knew to herself, or risk the staff being taken away. The same went for the scroll revealing how to use pure nature energy for attacks. She took that scroll and tucked it away into her yukata for safe keepings, later deciphering, and interpreting the diagrams to attempt the technique.

 **OoO**

Clashing metal sounded as Hisen's sword came in contact with that of Madara's, his new training partner. Madara had become the only one who was able to keep up with his strength, not that Hisen minded.

The marks on his skin glowed a deep blue as he channeled his chakra through his weapon, much like Madara was doing. Tiring of the weapon, he dropped and went for a punch, but Madara dodged it and threw one of his own. Hisen fell backwards, narrowly avoiding the hit, and fell onto his hands. He swung his leg back around, twisting his body as he did so, knocking Madara off his feet. The clan leader sent a fireball his way as he fell, doing a flip to land back on is feet.

Hisen crossed his arms up in front of him and activated his sharingan. More chakra channeled through his body as the flames came to hit, but they never did. He absorbed them and with a smirk, sent the shockwave of chakra back at Madara. It did not hit him though. His blue Susanoo blocked the attack.

The young man was getting much stronger. Madara appreciated the challenge, but he had to admit, Hisen was growing stronger at a faster pace than he anticipated. He didn't share this information with anyone else.

To counter his Susanoo, a white cloak of chakra cloaked Hisen, and from it six tails sprouted, one of them black and the rest the same white chakra. Hisen came for him, but he was able to block the attack with his Susanoo, but from the force of the attack, he knew Hisen was holding back. He had hit him harder before.

"What do you have to hold back, Hisen?"

Hisen gave a small smile. "I'm saving something for the battlefield. I'd like to try it out then. Can we conclude?"

Although Madara wasn't usually one to call it a day when Hisen wasn't even breaking a sweat, the sun was low on the horizon. Madara's Susanoo faded, as did Hisen's nearly impenetrable cloak of chakra. They walked side by side in a comfortable silence back to the confines of the clan. When there, Madara turned to Hisen. "If Anju has discovered anything with the scrolls, bring her and the scrolls to training early in the morning. Same place."

Hisen nodded and held a bare hand out to Madara. "Arigato, Madara-sama." Madara took his hand.

As he did, Hisen went stiff and his eyes went wide. His eyes glowed purple and his pupils turned into vertical slits. Madara was quick to jerk back from Hisen, or he at least tried to, but Hisen's grip was firm, like stone. He did not know what this was, but his first instinct of escape was no longer an option.

"Hisen! Snap out of it!" Seeing not much of choice since he couldn't move, Madara gritted his teeth and brought his fist back, silently praying Anju would forgive him. His fist landed on Hisen's cheek, and sent him into the ground. It was maybe for force than Madara meant it to be, but at least he was free.

As he walked up to Hisen, he paused. The young man was looking up at him with wide eyes of terror. The only time Madara had been looked at in such a way was on the battlefields of war.

"Hisen?"

The young man shook his head and turned around to start walking – or more like jogging away – in the opposite direction. "Bye Madara-sama! Same time tomorrow!"

Madara sighed. Hisen was a strange one. He was a sass ball and quite confident before Kouzai, but since the beast had been sealed within him, he had become soft spoken. Sure, the kid was still like he was before, but only to an extent. He wasn't the same kid anymore.

He began to walk towards the direction of his own home, looking forward to a good night's rest before they headed back into war in three days' time. This time they had been hired by a feudal lord fighting for power with another, and in a weeks time they had to be at their destination. He had a feeling they would be facing off against the Senju in this battle, for they had remained quiet as well. Madara would call a meeting tomorrow to discuss their plan, and then finalize when they arrived at the field and set up camp.

The plan was to bring Hisen along this time. He felt Hisen was ready for battle again and that he had gotten much stronger since the last time he had fought. However, he wanted to get Anju's blessing on the matter and speak to her about this battle. This caused him to change course and head to Anju's home instead.

Izuna was out with a large group doing another mission for another lord looking to gain power. He would be back just in time for them to head back out into the fray, or, if not, they would rendezvous at the battlefield.

He arrived at Anju's residence, letting himself in and walking around until he came to a closed door with a warning letter asking for no disturbances. He carefully knocked on the sliding door.

"Only an illiterate would be knocking."

He chuckled and slid the door open. He found Anju sitting the floor, cross-legged, with the staff in her lap and scrolls and paper spread about all over. She didn't look up at him, her eyes were concentrated on the staff as she turned it over in her hands and investigated it.

Madara slipped off his sandals before he walked around to the other side of the desk to view all that she had done. Upon his inspection, he saw the dried blood on the desk and floor. His concern for Anju had grown and there was no denying it any longer. After his confession to his father, he could no longer hold ill feelings towards the young woman.

He thought he could keep the façade up, but with all the information and his confession, it was no longer possible to deny what was really there, and he couldn't stay away, no matter how much this stung. He craved her company, even if it was just sitting a talking. He didn't know why he was doing this to himself. Anju and his brother were to be wed a couple weeks. He supposed it was a combination of a number of things, but he couldn't choose a main contender.

He was silent as he joined her on the floor. His brow scrunched together with concern as he stared at her blank, calm face of concentration. His eyes wandered over the features of her heart shaped face – clean, light colored skin, small slender nose, almond eyes with dark orbs, and small, pink lips turned in slight smile. A strand of raven hair framed part of her face, while her bangs framed the other.

His eyes flittered down to the staff she held. It did not give off any chakra, though he knew of a few times it had and that it wasn't a harmless object. If it were up to him, he would get rid of it. However, he had a feeling it would find its way back somehow.

"Anju." he gently whispered her name. He reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair away, and hesitated for a moment before he actually did so. She turned her head to look at him, her lips slightly upturned into the slightest smile. "The sign specifically says do not disturb, Madara. I know you can read."

"I had an important matter to consult you on."

She placed the staff on the ground and turned towards him. "What is it?"

"Normally I wouldn't ask this, but I feel I need to and I would also like to make a proposition to you on the matter," he held his hand out and she placed hers in his, "As you know, we are leaving to battle soon for some time. Hisen has been training and I, like you, have seen great improvements in him over this short period of time. However-"

"You want my blessing?"

Madara paused to think on the thought, then slowly shook his head. "I want your opinion on him going in to battle, if you think he is ready. If the answer is hai, then a blessing is needed."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "You don't have to ask Madara, but why are you?"

"I respect the relationship you have with Hisen. You are close with the beast, and if you don't think they're ready, I will keep him here."

"What does Hisen think?" Madara held her gaze, "He would like to go into battle," a small sigh escaped her lips. She looked away from him and took her hand from his.

"It is not that I fear he is not ready, but he has a tendency to do stupid things and does not protect his blind spots."

Madara chuckled. "He's getting better."

She gave him a small smile. "Why are you asking me all this Madara?"

Madara looked out the sliding door to the life outside. "On the battlefield, you would protect Hisen and cover his blind spots," he looked back at her, "I believe there is something going on with Neikan and Kouzai, something ancient, something that will change our history. I also believe it is going to take more than one person to help Hisen fight Neikan, and as I believe in these things, I believe it is my duty as clan leader to help him fight this."

Anju was quiet as she looked at him, a thoughtful look on her face, but also one of dread. "I feel the same way, about Neikan and Kouzai." She pulled a scroll from the pile next to her and rolled it out. It was in a language he did not understand, but it did contain drawings – black drawings depicting a wolf like creature and a shape-shifting serpent that followed the writings.

"This scroll, I do not know what it is, but it shows an ancient battle," she placed her finger on the dark serpent, "I believe this is Neikan," she dragged her finger to the beast attempting to sink its fangs into the serpent, "and I believe this is Kouzai."

 **OoO**

His body shook as he sat under a tree within the Uchiha clan compound, what he had seen replaying through his head over and over again. It was the fear of it, the adrenaline of it, and feelings he could not comprehend. What he saw both disturbed and amazed him.

 _"You must calm young one."_

Hisen's hand shook as he held it in front of his face, blue designs decorating it. "What was that Kouzai? What did I see?"

He quickly found himself in the black abyss of his mind. A white muzzle with catfish whiskers came from it with amethyst eyes. _"It would seem you have unlocked one of my abilities."_

"What is that?" As he asked the question, he felt that he already knew what it was based on what he saw in Madara's mind.

 _"Aito had obtained it when he held me inside him. It is the ability to see ones past, present, future, and their destiny and fate."_

"What I saw with Madara then, all of what I saw…"

 _"Everything that has happened to him, everything that is happening to him now, and everything that will happen. All of those things lead to an ending and are not changeable."_

"But everything I saw…"

 _"Possibilities. You saw all the possible decisions and actions, the destiny, but you also saw fate. Fate cannot be changed, and you have seen the path he will travel."_

Hisen didn't know what to do with this information. He had seen what happened in Madara's past, what was currently happening to him now, and what would happen to him in the future. What was he supposed to do?

Kouzai's second set of eyes blinked, the bakyugan pair. _"You are wiser now, and stronger. What do you think is right young one?"_

His eyes lowered. He knew what had to be done. "How did Aito do it? Know so many people's futures but not say anything to them…"

Kouzai looked to him with his amethyst eyes. _"Because no matter what he said or did, he could not change anything that had or would happen."_

 **OoO**

 **This is a quick question, and it'll help move the next few chapters along nicer. Just pick between these numbers, the rest is a surprise:**

 **1**

 **2**

 **3**

 **Thanks!**


End file.
